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The  Gold  Mine  in  the  Front 

Yard  and  How  to 

Work  It 


SHOWING  HOW  MILLIONS  OF  DOLLARS 
CAN  BE  ADDED  TO  THE  VALUE 
OF  PRAIRIE  FARMS 


By  as.   HARRISON 

YORK,  NEBJiASKA 

President  of  the  Nebraska  Park  of 
Forestry  Society 


LIBRARY. 

Dipjsion  of  Horticulture, 
N.  0.  Dep't  of  Agriculture. 


ST.    PAUL,   MINN. 
WEBB  PUBLISHING  CO. 

1905. 


COPYRIGHT  FD  1905 
BY 

Webb  Pctblishing  Co. 


INDEX. 


Introduction     1 

Beauty  is  wealth — The  mission  of  beauty. 

The     Home     1^ 

"There's  no  place   like  home" — The   boys'   room. 

The    Discovery    of    Beautiful    Gems 16 

The   Concord  Grape— The  Wealthy  Apple— Carnations 
— Paeonies.  etc. 

The    Preparation    of    the    Ground    and    the    Preparation    of 

The    Owner    22 

Intelligence   of   the    plant   and   tree   world. 

Don't    Be    Stingy     30 

Laying    Out    the    Grounds 36 

Kinds  of  trees  and  shrubbery  and  arrangement. 

Hints    and    Suggestions — Selecting    Trees    and    Shrubs 42 

Raising  plants  from   seed — Dogs  and   flowers. 

Planting    For    Foliage    Effect 55 

Trees  of  silver  foliage — Golden  foliage — Purple  foliage 
— Planting  for  Autumn   effect. 

The    Lilac     62 

The     Persians — Emodi — Oblata — Japan — Tree     Lilacs, 
etc. 

The    Viburnum,   or   Snowball 74 

Other  shrubs   of   value. 

The    Syringa,    or    Philadelphus    81 

Spiraeas     89 

The    Rose    94 

Japanese  Roses — Climbing  Roses — The  Hybrids  or  Per- 


petuals — Preparing   roses   for    winter. 


-  -J 


iv  INDEX. 

The    Lonicera,    or    Honeysuckle 105 

Bush  or  Tree  Honeysuckles — Planting  a  group — Propa- 
gation— Climbing   Honeysuckles. 

Perennial    Flowers    114 

Tulips — Yuccas — The  Filamentosa — The  Iris — The 
Golden   Glow — Sunflowers. 

Columbines     123 

How  to  grow  them — Delphiniums — The  Lily — Time  to 
plant — The  Gaillardia — Oriental  Poppy — Phloxes. 

The   Paeony    160 

Classification — Propagation — Dividing  the  roots — 
Planting  for  flowers — Raising  from  roots — Propa- 
gation by  grafting — Raising  from  seed — Care  of 
seed  and  planting — Hardiness — Thoroughbred 
flowers — Changes  of  soil  and  climate — Mistakes 
and  mixtures — Difllculties — Retarding  for  spring 
selling — Late  blooming — Nonblooming  Paeonies — 
Cutting  from  newly  planted  roots — Paeonies  and 
insects — Diseases — Freaks,   etc. 

List  of  Some  of  The  Leading  Paeonies 219 

Gladiolus,  The  Sword  Lily 242 

Propagation  — Flowers  — Forcing  — Cannas  — Rais- 
ing from  seed — The  Dahlia — Propagation — Varie- 
ties, etc. 


LABFlArlY. 

Division  of  Horticulture, 

U.  0.  Dep't  of  Agriculture. 


INTRODUCTION. 

Often  gold  is  foimd  when  least  suspected.  Miners 
for  a  generation  roamed  over  the  Cripple  Creek  hills, 
and  did  not  dream  of  the  millions  beneath  their  feet. 
The  shepherds  of  Australia  led  their  flocks  over  pas- 
tures paved  with  gold  and  did  not  know  it. 

A  poor  rancher  in  the  mountains  found  nuggets  of 
gold  in  the  crop  of  a  turkey,  and  found  whence  they 
came  and  soon  struck  his  millions. 

But  these  are  rare  cases.  Often  I  have  known  men 
to  trudge  over  the  mountains  for  years  and  endure 
all  manner  of  privations  and  grow  gray  before  they 
find  wealth. 

But  every  farmer  has  a  gold  mine  in  his  front  yard, 
where,  least  suspected,  there  are  riches.  Generation 
follows  generation  and  the  case  is  rare  where  these 
mines  are  worked  as  they  should  be. 

It  is  generally  Supposed  that  the  money  is  all  in  the 
back  yard,  the  barn,  the  granary  and  the  farm,  and 
yet  the  richest  deposits  are  at  the  front ;  and  every 
acre  there  is  worth  $1,000  at  least,  as  we  shall  see. 

BEAUTY  IS  WEALTH. 

There  are  priceless  values  outside  dollars  and  cents. 
What  does   the  rich  man   do?     Does  he  put   all  his 

rmtaCTY  LIBIMKr 


2  THE    GOLD   MINE 

gains  where  they  will  bring  back  so  much  annual  in- 
terest in  cold  cash  ?  He  does  far  better.  There  are 
more  beautiful  things  in  this  life  than  greenbacks,  sil- 
ver and  gold.  The  man  gets  a  piece  of  land.  A 
landscape  gardener  lays  it  out,  then  he  has  it  planted 
to  the  choicest  trees,  shrubs  and  flowers.  These  arc 
well  cared  for,  and  that  piece  of  brown  earth  soon  de- 
velops into  a  beautiful  estate — and  that  is  wealth. 

That  plat  of  ground,  of  little  value  in  itself,  be- 
comes a  garden  of  delight.  As  the  years  go  by  it 
grows  more  and  more  beautiful — the  joy  of  the  owner 
and  the  delight  of  all  who  pass  by. 

I^ow  please  tell  me  why  the  western  farmer  can- 
not be  rich.  He  has  better  land  than  the  eastern 
man  who  buys  a  worn-out  field,  and  then  pays  $10 
a  cord  for  manure  besides  the  hauling.  The  farmer 
has  plenty  of  manure  in  his  yard.  Trees  and  flowers 
will  grow  for  him  as  well  as  for  others.  Go  to  the 
experiment  stations,  and  you  will  see  what  vast  num- 
bers of  things  there  are  which  do  well  all  over  the 
West. 

The  farmer's  wife  belongs  to  the  noblest  race  on 
earth.  How  much  of  patience,  fortitude  and  hard 
work  she  has  displayed  in  the  homebuilding.  Heaven 
help  him  if  his  sons  and  daughters  are  not  of  more 
worth  than  many  of  the  children  of  the  rich  who  live 
in  a  band  box  and  must  be  fed  with  a  spoon. 

Farmers  complain  that  their  children  do  not  like  the 
farm,  and  as  soon  as  they  can  they  will  leave  it.  What 
wonder !      I   knew   of  a   man   worth   $75,000,   with   a 


IN   THE  FRONT   YARD.  3 

large  farm  well  stocked — not  a  carpet  on  the  floor — not 
a  rocking  chair  in  the  house — no  books,  magazines 
or  pictures — not  a  tree  in  the  yard — not  a  shrub  or 
flower.  It  was  grind,  grind,  grind  for  dollars  from 
early  morning  till  late  at  night.  The  three  daughters 
who  might  have  been  ornaments  to  society  were  lured 
away  to  lives  of  shame.  The  five  boys  ran  away  and 
all  but  one  became  vagabonds.  You  do  not  want  to 
raise  a  family  of  boors — awkward  and  ill  at  ease  in 
society.  You  want  them  to  be  educated  and  refined. 
Surround  them  with  refining  influences ;  let  them  asso- 
ciate with  beautiful  things.  Grive  them  a  taste  of  the 
real  luxuries  and  entertainments  of  life.  Make  the 
home  so  attractive  that  it  will  be  the  dearest  spot  on 
earth. 

My  thoughts  revert  to  the  home  of  my  friend,  T.  C. 
Thurlow,  of  West  :N'ewbury,  Mass.  His  grandson  is 
the  tenth  generation  born  on  the  old  place.  Every 
tree  has  a  history.  One  Fourth  of  July  we  took  din- 
ner under  a  fine  old  elm  his  grandfather  planted. 
Back  of  the  house  is  an  artificial  grove  of  spruce.  The 
rows  are  like  columns  in  some  grand  cathedral.  The 
tops  have  woven  a  canopy  of  green  that  shuts  out  the 
sun.  The  family  are  troubled  with  weak  lungs.  A 
few  years  ago  he  planted  some  little  white  pines  and 
they  are  now  a  forest  filling  the  air  with  healing.  In 
front  of  the  house  are  thousands  of  the  finest  of 
paeonies,  and  yonder  such  a  field  of  glorious  phloxes. 
There  are  silver  robed  trees  from  the  Kockies.     Ever- 


4  THE    GOLD    MINE 

greens  and  deciduous  trees  gathered  from  different 
parts  of  the  earth.  Everywhere  there  are  things  of 
beauty.  ''No  wonder  the  children  dread  to  leave  home 
and  rejoice  when  they  can  get  back  again. 

Take  it  all  around,  and  no  investment  will  pay  bet- 
ter than  your  gold  mine  in  your  front  yard.  ^'Well/' 
says  one,  ^'I  don't  know  how  to  work  it.  I  don't  know 
anything  about  horticulture."  We  thought  perhapis 
that  was  the  case,  and  so  this  book  is  written  in  the 
hope  that  it  will  develop  the  immense  amount  of  w^ealth 
and  beauty  now  idle,  or  existing  only  in  thought. 

Let  us  outline  this  matter.  We  visit  a  fine  estate 
in  Massachusetts.  There  is  a  marvelous  group  of  trees 
dressed  in  silver  and  sapphire.  Their  sheen  is  like  soft 
moonlight  lingering  among  the  branches.  Offer  the 
man  $100  apiece  for  them.  He  would  not  take  twice 
that.  You  buy  those  same  trees  of  silvery  hue  for 
$2.00  each;  then  see  them  grow^  They  will  do  as  well 
in  Minnesota  as  in  Massachusetts.  Each  little  tree 
will  be  ambitious  to  work  out  that  $100  for  you;  and 
it  will  be  worth  as  much  to  you  and  your  family  as  to 
any  one. 

A  little  boy  once  planted  a  quarter,  and  a  few  days 
after  dug  it  up  to  see  if  it  had  sprouted.  Another 
little  fellow  who  loved  his  grandma  dearly  moved  with 
his  parents  to  a  far  Western  home.  He  was  terribly 
homesick.  How  he  did  long  for  the  kind  arms  and  the 
dear  old  face !  One  day  his  mother  found  him  planting 
a  photograph  in  the  garden.  It  was  the  picture  of 
the  dear  old  lady.     He  burst  into  tears  and  said:     "I 


IN  THE  FRONT   YARD.  5 

was  plantin'  daniiia  so  she  would  grow  and  I  could 
have  her  adin/^  Poor  little  fellow!  Silver  and 
photos  can't  grow,  but  trees  can. 

I  saw  a  beautiful  lilac  tree  twenty  years  old.  It  was 
thirty  inches  around  and  thirty  feet  high  and  all  that 
splendid  crown  was  a  mass  of  fragrant  bloom.  Would 
$100  buy  it?  Yet  for  $1.00  you  buy  the  same  kind 
of  a  tree,  which  is  as  hardy  and  thrifty  as  our  native 
ash  and  which  in  its  native  mountains  of  Japan  is  a 
foot  through  and  fifty  feet  high.  Professor  Green 
has  them  growing  on  the  University  grounds.  There 
is  one  to  match  it — the  Chinese  tree  lilac  with  charm- 
ing  foliage  and  drooping  branches. 

What  a  vast  array  of  flowering  shrubs.  Besides  130 
kinds  of  lilacs  we  have  a  splendid  list  of  syringas, 
spiraeas,  viburnums,  and  many  others. 

Take  the  perennials.  What  a  noble  family — phloxes 
blooming  from  June  to  ISTovember. 

Get  a  dozen  of  them  and  this  book  will  tell  you  how 
to  swell  the  number  to  a  thousand  so  you  can  have  a 
field  of  splendor. 

Plant  a  few  paeonies  and  soon  you  have  hundreds. 

There  are  the  columbines  which  have  robbed  the 
rainbow  of  all  its  colors  and  woven  them  into  bouquets 
fit  for  kings. 

Think  of  the  enjoyment  you  will  have.  When  you 
are  tired  with  your  day's  work  just  take  a  vacation 
on  your  front  porch,  and  any  day  from  spring  till  the 
hard  frosts  of  autumn  there  will  be  a  procession  of 
beauty  on  gorgeous  dress  parade  before  you. 


6  THE    GOLD    MINE 

If  there  were  such  a  park  as  you  might  have  ten  miles 
away  you  would  hitch  the  team  to  the  carriage,  and 
take  your  whole  family  to  see  it.  Why  don't  you  have 
a  park  of  your  own  and  make  your  farm  a  sort  of 
Mecca  to  the  lovers  of  nature? 

Good  old  Mother  Mature.  What  a  heartache  she  has 
had  all  these  years  because  she  could  not  get  at  you 
and  go  to  work  for  you. 

She  has  a  plan  for  fixing  up,  and  just  beside  you  in 
the  unseen   she  has   a   vision   of  loveliness  which   she 
would  like  to  make  a  substantial  reality.      She  is  ready. 
to  open  the  door  into  fairyland  and  let  you  see  just 
what  is  waiting  for  you. 

You  read  these  lines  and  ask,  ^'Ts  this  possible  for 
me  ?"  Yes !  !N^ow  won't  you  fix  up  ?  That  neglected 
piece  of  ground  is  too  valuable  for  rooting  pigs  and  sick 
and  disabled  machinery. 

'Now  every  man  who  owes  a  debt  ought  to  pay  up. 
The  man  who  owns  160  acres  of  land  is  a  king  by 
divine  right.  He  owns  down  to  the  center  of  the  earth 
and  up  to  the  stars.  With  the  warranty  deed  which 
comes  from  the  United  States  government  and  from 
God  there  is  an  implied  obligation  to  make  the  most 
of  this  empire  of  yours.  Every  nook  and  corner  of  it 
should  be  put  to  its  best.  The  home  should  be  like  a 
splendid  picture  set  in  a  suitable  frame. 

THE    MISSION    OF    BEAUTY. 

When  the  whole  world  is  so  full  of  beauty  why 
should  it  be  entirely  ignored  on  the  farm  ?     You  see 


IN  THE   FRONT  YARD.  7 

it  everywhere.  It  sits  on  the  bow  which  fronts  the 
storm.  You  see  it  in  those  mountains  of  cloud  dress- 
ed in  gorgeous  robes  of  ruby,  and  opal,  of  amethyst 
and  gold,  as  they  escort  the  retiring  day  to  his  cham- 
bers in  the  West.  The  vast  prairies  when  unvexed 
by  man  were  gardens  of  flowers.  You  plant  an  or- 
chard and  it  is  clothed  with  fragrant  bloom  in  spring- 
time, and  in  autumn  it  is  a  bouquet  of  loveliness  with 
its  fruit  of  red  and  gold. 

God  might  have  made  the  cherry,  the  peach,  and  the 
apple  the  color  of  the  stones,  but  he  chose  to  feed  the 
eye  as  well  as  the  palate.  Through  beauty  he  would 
touch  the  soul.  Put  a  man  where  you  will,  and  there 
will  be  some  of  the  attractions  of  nature  to  welcome 
him.  The  tropics  are  filled  with  flowers,  and  they 
alternate  in  the  hemispheres.  They  salute  him  in  the 
vast  countries  of  the  E'orth.  How  fascinating  the 
splendors  of  the  aurora  as  they  flash  and  flame  on  the 
walls  of  the  sky!  The  arch  above  us  is  kalsomined 
with  sapphire,  and  sprinkled  with  stars.  Then  the 
gates  of  the  future  open  before  us  on  scenes  of  tran- 
scendent loveliness. 

Why  on  earth  in  these  mortal  bodies  do  objects 
diminish  in  ratio  to  distance  ?  Can  you  look  the  noon- 
day sun  out  of  countenance  as  it  is?  Suppose  you 
could  see  all  things  now  in  their  full  proportions.  You 
take  one  glance  upward  into  the  empires  of  glory, 
where  vast  cities  of  stars  are  blazing  and  monster 
worlds  lie  along  the  path  of  vision,  and  a  single  glance 
would  paralyze  the  strongest  brain. 


8  THE    GOLD    MINE 

But  by  and  by  we  will  awake  in  the  divine  likeness 
and  see  as  God  sees.  Then  what  prospects  will  open 
before  us  as  we  are  greeted  with  the  salutations  of 
the  universe.  Each  star  has  a  mantle  in  color  and 
fashion  all  its  own^ — no  two  alike;  and  the  stupendous 
empire  stretching  to  the  shores  of  chaos  will  rise  as 
endless  fields  of  loveliness  filled  with  the  surprises  and 
astonishments  of  beauty. 

Language  labors  and  falters  in  the  attempt  to  de- 
scribe our  home  in  the  future,  with  jasper  walls,  and 
opal  sea,  with  gates  of  pearl  and  golden  pavements  and 
foundations  set  with  precious  gems. 

When  we  have  such  an  inheritance  of  beauty  in  this 
world  and  the  next,  why  should  the  farmer,  who  is  part 
owner  of  this  earth,  ignore  it  altogether,  especially 
since  God  has  made  him  a  creator  who,  with  a  wizard's 
wand,  can  call  up  visions,  marvels  in  form  and  dazzling 
in  beauty  ? 

He  can  take  an  acre  of  somber  earth  and  gather 
upon  it  the  colors  of  the  rainbow,  the  splendors  of  the 
sunset,  the  radiance  of  the  gems,  and  it  will  be  a  land 
Elysian — promise  and  prophesy  of  what  lies  beyond. 

We  are  just  on  the  borders  of  what  is  yet  to  be  re- 
vealed to  us  here.  What  changes  have  been  produced 
in  a  few  years.  The  carnation  of  today  was  evolved 
from  a  humble  flower.  The  dahlia  had  a  very  inferior 
ancestry.  The  phlox,  with  its  marvels  of  brilliancy  and 
attractiveness,  reaching  out  into  hundreds  of  varieties, 
was  a  humble  flower  born  on  our  great  prairies.  The 
paeony  of  today  is  one  of  evolution's  miracles.     And 


IN  THE  FRONT  YARD.  9 

just  before  us  are  the  most  delightful  possibilities. 
How  keen  the  zest  of  those  who  hunt  for  diamonds, 
pearls,  rubies  and  other  precious  gems.  There  is  a 
kindred  delight  for  those  in  search  of  new  and  rare 
floral  treasures.  When  Kosenheld  gave  us  Golden 
Harvest  among  the  paeonies  he  gave,  not  a  single  gem, 
but  one  that  will  grow  to  cheer  a  million  homes.  When 
Terry  gave  us  his  Excelsior,  Clara  Barton  and  Victor 
paeonies  it  was  as  if  he  scattered  gems  that  would  grow 
and  cheer  and  gladden  thousands. 

In  my  own  experience  I  have  seen  marvels  of  ^new 
creations  among  the  phloxes,  and  seedlings  of  my 
own  raising  far  surpass  many  of  our  choice  importa- 
tions ;  and  so  with  columbines.  What  delicate  rays  of 
beauty  are  gathered  into  some  of  those  newer  forms. 
How  much  awaits  us  among  the  paeonies.  What  sur- 
prises for  myself  and  the  world  must  come  from 
thirty-five  pounds  of  choicest  seed.  We  have  only 
touched  the  great  empire  of  beauty  which  stretches  be- 
fore us. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE   HOME. 

This  should  not  be  a  kennel,  a  sty,  a  stable,  or  a 
barn.  It  is  the  dwelling  place  of  immortals.  It 
should  be  the  most  sacred  spot  on  earth.  The  residence 
need  not  always  be  elaborate.  There  is  much  of  cheer 
often  in  the  lowly  cottage.  The  spirit  of  the  home  is 
the  presence  of  the  wife  and  mother.  If  this  is  lack- 
ing the  place  is  a  desolation. 

The  new  woman  greedily  seeks  the  new  vocations, 
trying  by  all  means  to  avoid  what  she  terms  ^^domestic 
drudgery."  But  there  is  no  occupation  more  noble 
than  that  which  ministers  to  the  wants  of  the  loved 
ones — no  hand  so  beautiful  as  that  from  which  fall  the 
benedictions  of  toil  and  cheerfulness. 

People,  of  necessity,  are  often  restricted  in  home  ar- 
rangements. 

When  our  people  moved  West  in  '44  we  lived  for 
years  in  a  house  18x24  which  cost  just  $50.  It  had  a 
chamber  where  our  sleeping  bunks  were.  We  climb- 
ed to  it  on  a  ladder.  There  w^ere  nine  of  us.  But  as 
means  increased-  home  comforts  grew.  Times  have 
changed.  Our  farmers  are  well  to  do,  or  even  rich, 
and  now^   can   have  home   comforts   and   conveniences. 

What  tremendous  influences  are  all  the  while  going 


12  ^THE    GOLD    MINE 

out  of  our  American  homes.  They  are  sources  of 
power. 

From  on©  of  them  a  boy  goes  to  his  life  work  as  one 
of  the  captains  of  industry.  And  mark  you,  most  of 
the  Titans  of  today,  mightier  than  fabled  Thor  or  Vul- 
can, came  from  country  homes. 

There  goes  a  thoughtful  girl  with  fertile  brain  and 
facile  pen.  She  was  born  and  reared  in  the  country 
where  she  could  get  acquainted  with  herself  and  learn 
to  think  and  write  and  the  world  loves  her. 

From  another  home  goes  a  boy  with  the  soul  of  a 
patriot.  He  enters  a  naval  academy  and  sooner  or 
later  you  may  hear  of  another  Santiago  or  Manilla. 

Another  goes  to  West  Point  and  becomes  a  Grant 
or  Sheridan. 

We  think  too  little  of  home.  How  few  expect  to 
live  and  die  on  their  farms.  They  hope  to  sell,  and 
what  a  shifting  race  in  which  the  home  instinct  is  al- 
most blotted  out ! 

What  spot  can  be  more  sacred  in  its  hallowed  asso- 
ciations ?  In  that  room  a  little  sister  with  starry  eyes 
and  hair  of  woven  sunbeans  went  into  the  open  arms 
of  a  waiting  Saviour.  Is  that  room  a  place  for  stran- 
gers ?  Should  wooden  shoes  go  clamping  in  places 
touched  by  angels'  feet? 

In  that  room  Grandfather  passed  away.  How  the 
children  loved  to  gather  there  and  listen  to  stories  of 
the  past.  What  a  kindly  soul  he  was  and  the  little 
ones  loved  to  nestle  on  his  bosom.     When  he  died  it 


IN   THE  FRONT  YARD.  13 

was  the  death  of  the  righteous.  The  gates  were  opened 
and  heavenly  escorts  bore  him  home. 

There  a  mother  passed  away.  I  stood  by  her  side 
and  saw  and  heard  it  all.  Her  eyes  were  closed  to 
earthly  things  and  then  there  passed  by  her .  on  the 
shores  of  light  the  processions  of  glory.  I  cannot  for- 
get the  rapture  and  the  gladness  and  the  outreaching 
and  the  last  words,  "Oh,  beautiful,  beautiful  Jesus!'' 
Should  that  holy  place  be  desecrated  by  those  who 
neither  know  nor  care  for  any  of  those  precious  memo- 
ries ? 

In  that  room  as  a  child  you  lay  sick  for  weeks.  At 
the  foot  of  your  bed  pictures  were  changed  every  day 
to  give  your  tired  soul  something  new  to  think  of. 
Your  mates  came  in  to  cheer  you.  You  have  a  dim 
remembrance  of  the  long  vigils  of  father  and  mother 
and  the  good  doctors  wdio  could  not  let  you  die. 

What  gatherings  were  in  that  parlor.  Jane  and 
Sarah  and  Emma  were  married  there.  You  remem- 
ber where  they  stood  and  how  they  looked. 

There  is  the  dining  room  where  the  wedding  and 
Thanksgiving  feasts  were  spread.  What  happy  gath- 
erings of  friends  and  relatives.  What  delightful 
memories  linger  there.     Oh,  don't  sell  the  home ! 

In  our  great  West  there  is  hardly  a  farm  but  what 
can  be  beautified  and  made  homelike.  You  can  build 
bulwarks  of  noble  trees  to  shut  out  the  fierce  blasts  of 
winter.  Evergreens  and  deciduous  trees  are  waiting 
to  come  and  defend  you. 

The    choicest    shrubs    and    flowers    with    continuous 


14  THE    GOLD    MINE 

bloom  are  ready  to  spring  up  at  your  beck  and  fill  you 
with  cheer  and  gladness. 

On  the  farm  there  is  too  often  a  lack  of  conveniences 
and  comforts.  The  woman  should  have  a  good  toilet 
room  as  well  as  her  city  cousin.  The  inconveniences 
to  which  delicate  women  are  subjected  in  going  to  out 
houses  in  the  piercing  cold  and  through  the  deep  snows 
might  be  classed  among  the  martyrdoms.  I  had  seen 
so  much  of  this  that  when  I  built  I  made  up  my  mind 
to  have  a  good  bath  and  toilet  room  first  and  then 
build  a  house  around  it.  I  cannot  see  why  there 
should  be  such  cruel  neglect  and  indifference  on  the 
farm.  I  know  a  Western  ranch  where  the  wife  is  a 
noble,  motherly  woman  and  she  has  daughters  that  are 
teachers  and  the  husband  and  father  has  never  even 
built  a  small  out  house  for  them. 

The  expense  of  home  comforts  is  not  great.  -  There 
is  little  trouble  in  having  a  cesspool  at  a  safe  distance, 
and  as  far  as  sanitary  conditions  are  concerned  a  cess- 
pool is  no  more  dangerous  to  health  than  a  common 
vault. 

If  possible,  water  should  be  conveyed  into  the  house. 
The  windmill  can  do  this  much  better  than  the  wife. 
The  woman  has'} a  hard  time  at  best — often  without 
help,  and  she  should  have  every  possible  convenience. 

THE  BOYS^  ROOM 

Should  be  large  and  cheery  and  well  stocked  with 
books  and  papers.  I  know  a  man  who  has  trouble 
with  his  boys.     lie  owns  a  half  section  of  land  and  is 


IN  THE   FRONT  YARD.  IS 

well  off.  He  built  a  store  to  rent  in  a  new  town  with 
liis  surplus  money.  But  the  boys  had  to  grope  their 
way  to  bed  on  all  fours  in  the  garret  of  a  dilapidated 
sod  house.  Treat  a  boy  like  a  dog  and  he  will  be  one. 
Give  him  a  good  room  and  have  him  take  care  of  it 
and  he  will  be  a  gentleman  instead  of  a  rowdy. 

If  possible  he  should  have  a  shop  with  a  good  set  of 
tools ;  not  cheap  gift  affairs,  but  the  best  that  money 
can  buy. 

The  best  room  is  none  too  good  for  the  family. 
They  are  as  good  as  the  company  you  receive.  The 
largest  and  best  room  is  often  kept  for  the  guest.  This 
may  be  occupied  a  dozen  times  in  a  year  and  the  father 
and  mother  sleep  in  a  small  room.  They  need  the  best 
and  largest,  and  a  guest  can  take  up  with  a  smaller 
one.  Better  for  him  to  stand  it  a  short  time  than 
that  the  weary  ones  should  use  it  all  the  while.  Have 
a  good,  roomy  kitchen  with  every  possible  convenience. 


j)\r         o§  Hot) 


CHAPTEK  II. 

THE   DISCOVERY  OF  BEAUTIFUL   GEMS. 

If  in  the  gold  mine  in  the  front  yard  there  should 
also  be  found  a  mine  of  gems  what  new  zest  would 
be  given  to  research. 

Yet  it  is  a  fact  that  we  are  on  the  verge  of  the  un- 
known. Behind  a  thin  veil  the  good  Father  has  rich 
treasures  in  store  for  us  and  we  can  fold  the  curtains 
aside  and  take  possession. 

A  man  finds  a  precious  diamond  like  the  Kohinoor 
or  the  ''Mountain  of  Light''  or  ''Star  of  the  South"  and 
his  fortune  is  made. 

Ancient  rulers  reveled  in  the  possession  of  precious 
stones.  When  Persia  was  invaded  by  the  Mahometans 
they  captured  a  splendid  carpet  which  was  one  of  the 
marvels  of  the  world.  It  was  450  feet  long  and  90 
feet  wide,  and  had  a  border  worked  in  with  precious 
stones  to  represent  a  garden  of  all  kinds  of  lovely 
flowers.  The  leaves  were  formed  of  emeralds  and 
other  green  colored  stones,  while  the  buds  and  blossoms 
were  composed  of  pearls,  rubies,  sapphires  and  other 
gems  of  immense  value.  Along  with  this  was  a  robe 
of  state  thickly  embroidered  with  the  most  beautiful 
rubies  and  pearls.  That  splendid  carpet  was  an  imi- 
tation  of   a   garden    of   flowers.     True   the   fabric   of 


IN   THE  FRONT  YARD.  17 

woven  gems  Avoiild  last  the  longest,  yet  there  was  only 
one  of  it,  while  millions  of  people  can  have  carpets 
of  bloom  radiant  with  a  thousand  forms  emitting  their 
fragrance  and  displaying  their  loveliness. 

There  was  the  peacock  throne.  A  marvelous  col- 
lection of  jewels — fashioned  into  the  form  of  that  re- 
splendent bird.  It  was  worth  thirty  millions  of  dol- 
lars. It  was  a  most  magnificent  bouquet  of  splendor; 
yet  today  the  poor  man  or  woman  on  intimate  terms 
with  earth  and  nature  can  have  collections  of  forms, 
tints  and  colorings  which  might  vie  in  appearance  even 
with  this  masterpiece  of  human  skill. 

Let  some  Emperor  have  his  "Great  Mogul"  or  "Or- 
loff  Diamond."  But  a  hundred  thousand  people  can 
have  their  great,  splendid  Festiva  Maximas  and  La 
Tulipes — gems  of  the  floral  world.  Men  have  gone 
mad  over  the  discovery  of  rich  and  precious  stones. 
But  there  are  gems  of  lustrous  beauty  among  flowers — • 
gems  which  do  not  center  all  their  value  in  a  single 
object. 

I  stood  by  the  original  Concord  grape  in  that  his- 
toric town  and  said :  ''You  grand  Old  Mother  !  You 
know  not  the  trainload  after  trainload  of  fruit  and 
plants  which  have  gone  forth  from  your  branches,  add- 
ing millions  to  the  nation's  wealth." 

Gideon  discovered  a  gem  in  the  Wealthy  apple. 
What  a  marvel !  'No  jewel  uncovered  in  earth's  rich- 
est mines  can  compare  with  it.  Go  to  any  of  our 
Western  states  and  you  find  this  fruit  growing  by  ship 
loads. 


18  THE    GOLD   MINE 

Somewhere  in  the  unknown  are  other  fruits — 
luscious,  hardy  and  prolific,  which  will  yet  add  millions 
to  the  nation's  wealth. 

'No  one  can  take  out  a  patent  on  these  discoveries. 
The  wide  field  is  open  to  all.  You  can  be  an  inde- 
pendent mine  owner,  and  perhaps  some  quiet  farmer 
may  yet  capture  the  prize  for  which  all  the  Kortli- 
west  is  longing. 

In  floriculture  what  marvelous  changes  have  been 
made  in  roses.  The  single  rose  is  the  product  of  j^a- 
ture.  The  double  rose  is  the  product  of  ITature  and 
art.  What  marvelous  crosses  are  being  made.  One 
day  in  the  East  I  rode  on  the  cars  with  the  noted  Jack- 
son Dawson,  of  the  Arnold  Arboretum,  and  he  was 
taking  eight  hybrids  of  the  Wichuriana  of  Japan. 
There  is  no  limit  here,  and  a  wide  awake  boy  or  girl 
can  carry  on  the  process. 

What  improvements  in  lilacs,  spiraeas,  and  syringas, 
or  Philadelphus.  This  same  Dawson  showed  me  a 
syringa  of  marvelous  beauty  and  enormous  flowers — 
one  of  his  own  creations. 

Some  one  crossed  the  delicate  little  Thunbergi  Spiraea 
with  the  Multiflora  and  that  gave  us  the  Arguta,  which 
blooms  with  the  tulips — a  snowdrift  of  white — the 
earliest  of  all.  And  it  has  such  persistent  foliage 
that  in  the  autumn  it  is  like  a  flower  garden  of  itself 
with  its  rich  tints  and  marvelous  colorings ;  thus  mak- 
ing an  attractive  display  at  each  end  of  the  season. 

Lilacs  are  all  the  while  being  produced  from  seed. 
Plant   the   choicest   kinds   with   the   rich   diversity   of 


IN  THE   FRONT  YARD.  19 

bloom  and  foliage  and  from  the  seed  you  will  have 
some  surprises  of  loveliness. 

How  much  has  been  achieved  by  the  wizards  of  hor- 
ticulture who  have  opened  new  gates  to  let  us  look  on 
broad  empires  of  possibilities.  And  how  much  is  be- 
ing done  all  the  while  along  the  lines  of  private  re- 
search. 

Take  the  carnation.  Only  a  few  years  ago  it  was 
a  humble  flower  and  now  a  glory  fit  for  the  dwellings 
of  kings.  And  the  limit  of  its  possibilities  has  not 
yet  been  reached. 

When  Eosenfield  gave  the  world  his  Floral  Treasure, 
and  Golden  Harvest,  he  discovered  gems  whose  beauty, 
soon  to  be  increased  to  millions,  will  make  glad  the 
homes  of  the  great  Northwest  and  cheer  up  the  prairie 
desolations. 

Father  Terry,  of  Iowa,  has  given  us  over  one  hundred 
paeonies.  Among  them  the  Victor,  w^hich  is  victori- 
ous, and  Excelsior  which  excels,  and  Morning  Star 
with  delicate  rays  radiating  from  a  heart  of  gold. 
What  a  troup  of  loveliness  to  rise  up  and  bless  the  old 
man  as  he  journeys  to  the  land  of  the  setting  sun. 

And  see  what  gTeat  work  he  has  accomplished  in 
brinffino-  cheer  to  so  manv  homes.  It  is  said  he  is  a 
benefactor  who  makes  two  blades  of  grass  grow  in  the 
place  of  one.  What  shall  we  say  of  the  man  who  in 
the  place  of  none  shall  clothe  the  brown  earth  with  a 
carpet  of  beauty  on  which  the  soul  can  feast — who  dis- 
covers o-ems  that  will  increase  to  millions  ?     There  is 


20  THE    GOLD    MINE 

altTuism  here.  It  is  like  an  almoner  handing  out 
the  richest  gifts  of  Providence  to  a  needy  world. 

What  I  -want  to  do  is  to  awaken  a  zeal  in  your 
hearts,  so  that  you  can  go  out  and  possess  these  new 
fields.  There  is  a  charm  in  taking  the  flowers  already 
established  and  propagating  them,  thus  clothing  barren- 
ness with  beauty.  But  we  have  reached  that  point 
where  the  ordinary  man  or  woman,  boy  or  girl,  can 
add  to  the  treasures  of  the  world  and  the  delights  of 
society. 

A  quiet  woman  in  Indiana  a  few  years  ago  planted 
some  paeony  seeds.  One  plant  she  named,  on  my  ad- 
vice. General  Lawton.  It  had  a  splendid  large  flower. 
She  sold  it  for  $100.  Another,  named  for  her  de- 
parted husband,  brought  $150.  Another  of  her  crea- 
tions— Walter  Morgan — has  a  delicate  flower  of  lovely 
fragrance,  and  of  pure  gold.  There  is  no  law  which 
forbids  research  along  these  lines.  'No  warranty  deed 
on  God's  fields  with  signs  up,  "No  trespassing  here." 

What  wonder,  when  I  see  these  things,  that  the  fas- 
cination comes  over  me  and  I  am  planting  many  pounds 
of  seeds  of  choicest  paeonies  and  am  willing  to  forego 
the  delights  of  heaven  a  few  years  to  see  the  new 
forms  of  loveliness  they  will  unfold. 

NOTE  THIS   FACT. 

When  flowers  are  first  developed  from  the  original 
type,  they  easily  revert  back  again.  It  probably  took 
a  thousand  tests  to  produce  a  double  dahlia.  Now  the 
family  is  so  well  established  that  the  progeny  retain 


IN   THE  FRONT   YARD.  21 

the  characteristics  of  the  parents.  A  lady  not  long 
ago  saved  some  dahlia  seeds  and  was  amazed  to  find 
an  immense,  symmetrical  double  white,  which  she  nam- 
ed Surprise. 

Last  spring  I  sowed  a  lot  of  seeds  of  choice  cannas, 
and  was  delighted  to  fine  some  of  rare  merit — fully 
equal  to  many  of  the  finest  named  ones. 

I  keep  about  fifty  kinds  of  mixed  columbines ;  and 
their  product  gives  an  almost  endless  permutation  of 
form  and  color,  and  I  note  many  far  superior  to  the 
old  named  varieties.  There  is  this  about  the  colum- 
bine family, — they  use  all  the  prismatic  rays  in  mak- 
ing their  garments  of  loveliness. 

Take  the  phloxes  developed  from  our  wild  prairie 
flowers.  They  have  pushed  ahead  and  branched  out 
into  so  many  varieties  their  mother  would  not  know 
them. 

This  summer  I  have  raised  from  seed  of  the  best 
some  twenty  new  sorts — surpassing  most  of  our  im- 
ported ones. 

E'ow  remember !  these  gems  are  not  like  the  precious 
jewels  which  never  multiply.  You  can  increase  them 
rapidly  and  you  can  have  a  garden  of  delight  all  your 
own;  and  standing  there  like  a  god  among  your  new 
creations,  you  can  explain  the  petition,  ^'Let  the  beauty 
of  the  Lord,  our  God,  be  upon  us." 

It  is  delightful  to  stand  as  an  interpreter  to  unfold 
the  divine  plans  and  uncover  His  munificence  to  an 
admiring  world — to  introduce  God  to  men. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  PBEPARATION  OF  THE  GROUND  AND  THE 
PREPARATION  OF  THE  OWNER. 

People  often  have  crude  ideas  about  planting.  A 
lady  bouglit  some  roses  and  went  out  with  a  case  knife 
and  cut  a  small  hole  in  the  sod,  stuck  in  the  bushes  not 
as  deep  by  two  inches  as  when  in  the  nursery,  and  then 
said:  ^Thank  goodness  that  job  is  done."  Of  course 
they  died,  and  she  blamed  the  rascally  nurseryman  for 
sending  out  stock  that  would  not  live. 

There  is  little  use  of  planting  till  the  ground  is  ready. 
It  should  be  in  a  well  pulverized  and  friable  condition 
so  that  trees  and  plants  can  readily  draw  food  from  it. 
If  you  leave  a  piece  in  grass,  or  break  up  the  native 
sod,  the  soil  becomes  granulated  and  does  not  pack  close- 
ly around  the  roots,  and  so  cannot  feed  the  plant.  The 
best  way  would  be  to  manure  well  and  summer  fallow. 
Then  you  have  the  soil  in  the  best  and  most  responsive 
condition. 

You  may  want  to  plant  near  where  you  have  large 
trees  which  you  wish  to  save.  Now  here  is  a  problem. 
How  can  you  make  trees  and  plants  grow  in  a  domain 
already  pre-empted  by  great,  ravenous  trees  which  often 
send  out  roots  twice  as  far  as  they  measure  in  length  ? 

You  may  talk  about  trusts  and  monopolies;  there  is 


IN  THE   FRONT  YARD.  23 

no  trust  like  a  great,  strong  cottonwood,  and  you  miglit 
as  well  cut  it  down.  It  wants  the  earth  and  will  have 
all  it  can  reach  of  it.  If  in  town  it  will  take  your  own 
and  your  neighhor's  garden. 

Other  trees  you  may  wish  to  save,  but  they  are  not 
so  ravenous,  and  you  can  readily  check  their  aggres- 
sions. Suppose  you  have  a  row  of  elms  or  ash  you 
wish  to  keep  and  yet  you  want  to  plant  near  them.  Dig 
a  trench  three  feet  deep  about  six  or  eight  feet  from  the 
trees.  You  will  thus  cut  off  all  the  feeding  roots  that 
are  sapping  the  ground  you  wish  to  plant. 

'Now  prepare  your  ground  thoroughly  and  do  your 
planting.     Of  course  you  fill  up  the  ditch. 

"Will  not  the  roots  cross  the  trench  again?"  Cer- 
tainly; but  it  will  take  time,  and  thus  give  your  new 
trees  and  shrubs  a  chance  to  get  started.  Then  if  trees 
are  checked  in  one  direction  they  have  a  tendency  to 
work  harder  in  another  direction,  and  by  the  time  they 
invade  their  old  territory  your  planting  will  be  so  Avell 
rooted  and  established  that  little  harm  can  be  done. 

People  who  plant  near  large  trees  say  it  is  the  shade 
that  does  the  mischief.  But  in  our  Western  land  of 
hot  sunshine,  what  little  shade  there  is  would  be  helpful 
to  the  young  trees.  The  trouble  always  is  with  the 
roots. 

When  you  have  your  ground  all  ready  you  will  find 
it  just  hungry  for  the  trees  and  plants,  and  will  give 
them  a  cordial  home. 

While  the  ground  is  being  prepared  you  had  better 
prepare  yourself. 


24  THE    GOLD    MINE 

I  never  could  understand  why  the  farmer  considers 
horticulture  a  sealed  book  which  he  never  can  open.  It 
is  a  part  of  his  business,  as  much  as  raising  wheat,  corn, 
cattle  and  hogs.  It  is  easy,  too,  and  intensely  attractive. 
Strange  that  a  man  will  go  by  a  tree  or  plant  and  know 
nothing  about  it,  and  be  a  perfect  stranger  to  his  kind- 
est neighbors.  He  shuts  himself  out  of  a  wide  world 
of  enjoyment. 

The  more  one  studies  the  more  he  is  impressed  with 
the 

INTELLIGENCE  OF  THE  PLANT  AND  TREE  WORLD. 

We  should  regard  the  tree  as  an  intelligent,  hard 
working,  honest  friend,  endowed  with  an  intuition  that 
is  amazing.  We  talk  of  the  '^cunning  of  the  rat,''  and  I 
sometimes  think  a  tree  is  endowed  with  the  same  keen- 
ness. 

I  know  a  Cottonwood  the  roots  of  which  plowed  their 
way  through  hard  and  compact  ground  two  hundred 
feet  to  a  cistern  and  drank  it  dry.  The  people  won- 
dered what  had  become  of  the  water,  and  there  stood  the 
tree  smiling  in  triumph,  its  leaves  green  and  fresh,  and 
it  was  growing  with  the  greatest  vigor  in  a  dry  time. 

I  have  a  cottage  in  the  Rockies  where  I  love  to  be 
with  nature  and  watch  things.  One  fall,  on  a  very  dry 
mountain  side  I  saw  a  lot  of  ponderosa  pines  which 
seemed  to  be  dying.  I  examined  them  closely.  The 
soil  was  poor,  or  rather  no  soil  at  all,  only  decomposed 
granite,  and  it  had  been  very  dry  for  two  years.     Those 

tf   C.  State  ColU«« 


IN   THE  FRONT   YARD.  25 

trees  seemed  to  have  studied  the  matter  and  decided  they 
could  not  take  the  whole  family  through  and  so  they 
dropped  over  one-half  of  those  long  needles  and  had 
strength  enough  to  support  the  rest.  In  my  yard  was 
this  same  variety  of  pine^  but  the  grove  was  fresh  and 
vio^orous  and  thev  were  holdino^  all  their  needles.  I 
wondered  how  it  was.  About  150  feet  from  them  was 
an  irrigating  ditch.  I  having  occasion  to  dig  near  the 
banks,  I  found  a  whole  train  of  the  roots  drinking  up 
the  water  and  sending  it  back  to  those  trees. 

Often  I  have  noticed  fresh  and  vigorous  looking  trees 
on  the  brow  of  rocky  hills  where  there  was  no  soil  and 
the  wonder  was  how  they  could  thrive  so  well.  Going 
down  the  hillside  perhaps  one  to  two  hundred  feet,  I 
saw  where  the  soil  had  washed  away;  there  the  roots 
were  running  down  to  the  stream  and  pumping  the  water 
up  the  hill  to  the  trees. 

A  neighbor  had  occasion  to  move  some  large  cedars. 
He  did  it  well,  exercising  the  greatest  care.  In  a  few 
weeks  he  called  me  in  and  said  his  trees  were  dying. 
I  examined  them.  "''No,  they  are  not,  only  they  know 
more  than  you  do.  With  their  root  system  partly  de- 
stroyed they  know  they  cannot  carry  the  foliage  in  full, 
and  so  they  are  'cutting  the  coat  according  to  the  cloth,' 
and  doing  it,  too,  with  the  greatest  nicety.  You  will 
notice  they  are  only  dropping  the  foliage  from  the 
tips  and  the  branches  just  where  you  should  have  cat 
them  off  to  have  the  top  proportionate  with  the  root. 
They  are  doing  this,  too,  with  mathematical  precision.'' 
The  event  proved  the  trees  were  right.     They  under- 


26  THE    GOLD   MINE. 

stood  their  business  and  all  lived.  The  dead  limbs  were 
cut  off  and  the  cedars  made  a  fine  growth  and  are  really 
beautiful  trees. 

Trees  will  not  only  go  after  water  but  they  will  go 
after  food.  I  once  lived  on  a  place  which  had  a  very 
rich  piece  of  ground  for  a  garden,  which  a  former 
resident  had  discarded.  He  said  he  could  not  make  any- 
thing grow  there  on  account  of  the  shade.  Digging 
down  in  the  rich  soil  I  found  it  so  full  of  tiny  rootlets 
that  it  seemed  like  a  piece  of  sponge.  T  dug  a  trench  as 
described,  cutting  off'  the  roots,  and  had  the  "finest  gar- 
den in  town.  When  I  left  they  invaded  the  ground 
again  and  it  was  given  up. 

Some  years  ago  I  addressed  the  Horticultural  Society 
of  Worcester,  Mass.,  on  this  topic,  ^^Intelligence  in 
Trees." 

At  the  close  of  the  meeting  that  venerable  prince 
of  horticulturists,  O.  B.  Hadwin,  the  president,  said : 
"1  am  glad  you  spoke  on  that  topic.  I  had  a  row  of 
apple  trees  that  of  course  were  throwing  out  their  roots 
as  foragers  in  every  direction  to  gather  food  for  the 
trees.  One  side  of  the  row  I  dug  a  trench  and  put  in  a 
lot  of  manure  and  made  it  very  rich  for  pieplant.  Two 
or  three  years  after  I  had  occasion  to  dig  up  those  trees 
and  I  was  astonished  at  the  keenness  of  intelligence 
displayed.  I  found  the  roots  had  all  turned  and  made 
for  that  rich  food,  some  had  gone  past  the  trees,  some 
had  gone  under,  and  all  with  a  keen  scent  aimed  for 
that  trench." 

Did  you  ever  stop  to  think  of  the  splendid  civil  en- 


IN   THE  FRONT   YARD.  27 

gineering  of  a  great  tree  out  in  the  open  Avitli  its  wide 
spreading  branches  covered  with  dense  foliage? 

Present  this  problem  to  an  expert :  "Here  is  a  tree 
75  feet  tall  with  branches  having  a  spread  of  50  feet 
with  an  immense,  well-rounded  head.  We  want  you 
to  brace  this  so  that  it  will  stand  in  a  wind  blowing  80 
miles  an  hour  and  not  fall  over,  and  you  must  do  it  at 
the  base.''  It  would  take  an  immense  amount  of  figur- 
ing and  an  astonishing  amount  of  bracing.  But  that 
tree,  never  having  studied  mathematics  or  engineering, 
goes  quietly  at  work  and  solves  the  problem  and  does  it 
well.  Such  a  tree  left  entirely  to  itself  seldom  blows 
over.  It  sends  down  an  immense  tap  root,  and  then  out 
go  the  laterals  like  tent  cords,  and  as  the  tree  grows,  the 
cords  all  grow  stronger  till  they  get  to  be  immense 
cables.  Look  at  the  base.  How  gnarled  and  toughened 
and  what  a  gathering  of  power  there,  as  those  mighty 
arms  of  wood  go  out  to  clutch  the  solid  earth,  and 
hold  the  tree  in  place.  Years  go  by,  the  top  becomes 
heavier  and  the  weight  of  the  wind  on  that  immense 
leverage  is  something  tremendous,  but  the  tree  seems 
to  have  figured  it  all  out  and  is  prepared  by  additional 
and  stronger  braces  for  every  emergency. 

Before  me  as  I  write  tliis  there  stand  a  cherry  tree 
and  a  Japan  tree  lilac.  Both  are  good  friends  of  mine 
and  we  think  a  good  deal  of  each  other.  The  lilac  is 
destined  to  be  a  large  tree  6  inches  through  and  30  or 
40  feet  high.  I  take  the  best  of  care  of  my  trees  and 
meet  their  wants  as  I  would  take  care  of  a  horse  or 


28  THE    GOLD    MINE 

COW.  What  is  the  result  ?  The  lilac  was  one  great 
bouquet  of  fragrant  loveliness.  We  give  yon  a  very 
imperfect  picture  of  it."^  And  that  cherry  tree  tries  to 
outvie  itself  both  in  a  mantle  of  splendid  bloom  and 
again  in  an  immense  crop  of  luscious  fruit.  The  tree  is 
a  massive  flower  of  crimson  and  green  as  it  is  loaded 
with  its  burden. 

The  poet  prophet  speaks  of  ^^the  labor  of  the  olive.'' 
That  is  a  fine  gem  of  poetry  and  opens  before  us  a  mar- 
velous chapter  on  our  relation  to  our  trees.  In  winter 
they  are  quietly  sleeping — resting  to  get  ready  for  a 
hard  summer's  work. 

Spring  comes  and  they  begin  their  labor.  If  we 
could  look  through  the  soil  we  would  see  busy  toilers 
there  by  the  myriads.  Tiny  rootlets  go  out  in  every 
direction  as  foragers  bringing  in  supplies.  The  flowers 
are  hard  at  work  throwing  out  those  thread-like  roots 
all  eager  to  gather  in  something.  They  work  like  noise- 
less hives  of  bees,  and  as  busy  bringing  in  their  supplies. 
Silently  the  trees,  shrubs  and  plants  partake  of  the 
nourishment.  They  work  like  a  prayer  in  secret  which 
is  rewarded  openly.  Look  at  these  mantles  of  ermine 
and  gold  that  cover  the  bushes. 

See  the  emerald  crowns  upon  these  trees  growing 
fresher  and  greener.  E^ote  the  immense  amount  of 
quiet  work  in  the  gTOwing  branches  and  in  that  thick 
new  circle  which  is  embracing  the  trees. 

Look  at  these  flowers  on  dress  parade  before  you  and 
all  around  you  day  and  night  in  the  front  yard  and  in 

*See  page  63. 


IN  THE  FRONT  YARD.  29 

the  rear;  among  the  ornamental  and  the  fruit  trees, 
that  intelligent  host  is  at  work  for  yon  yielding  tribute 
as  much  as  the  horse  does  his  strength  or  the  cow  her 
milk.  How  much  a  man  loses  who  does  not  have  these 
intelligent  servants  at  work  for  him. 

All  around  us  in  air  and  earth,  in  shower  and  sun- 
beam, are  the  unseen  treasures — thousands  of  bushels 
of  luscious  fruits  held  in  solution  waiting  for  you  to 
give  mediums  for  their  crystallization  so  they  can*  ma- 
terialize for  you.  Oh,  the  beauty  of  it  and  the  pathos 
of  this  noble  army  waiting  to  come  as  faithful  toilers 
to  work  for  you,  or  to  stand  as  faithful  sentinels  to 
guard  your  home.  And  did  you  ever  think  that  all  the 
rays  of  light  in  the  air  about  you,  all  the  gorgeous  col- 
orings woven  into  the  rainbow,  are  just  waiting  to  fash- 
ion themselves  in  forms  of  radiant  loveliness  in  the 
tulip  and  columbine,  the  phlox  and  the  paeony,  and 
that  lovely  army  God  created  to  cheer  our  homes  ? 

Just  give  the  good  Father  a  chance  to  see  what  He 
can  do  for  you. 

But  remember  this,  that  the  most  stupid  of  these  si- 
lent servants  knows  enough  to  die  if  you  don't  take 
good  care  of  it. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

DON'T  BE   STINGY. 

One  great  drawback  in  adorning  the  home  grounds  is 
pennriousness. 

It  is  strange,  when  people  are  fixing  np  the  house, 
they  will  spare  no  expense  in  the  building  or  furnish- 
ing ;  but  the  moment  they  go  outside,  the  purse  strings 
are  pulled  tight,  and  anything  costing  more  than  25 
cents  is  considered  an  extortion. 

For  instance,  a  good  strong  rosebush,  well  rooted  and 
ready  for  business,  is  generally  sold  for  50  cents.  But 
the  economical  lady  says :  "^That  is  outrageous.  I  can 
do  much  better  than  that.  I  have  a  catalogue  and  price 
list  of  a  firm  that  will  sell  12  choice  kinds  for  $1.00 ; 
and  they  will  come  by  mail,  too,  so  I  will  save  the  ex- 
press." She  sends  for  them  and  gets  12  tiny  little 
things  that  need  a  microscope  sent  along  with  them. 
She  plants  them  out,  giving  ordinary  or  even  careful 
attention.  If  she  saves  one  out  of  the  number  she  will 
do  well ;  and  that  will  probably  be  a  poor,  sickly  thing, 
and  it  will  take  about  three  years  to  bring  it  up  to  prop- 
er size.  So  she  has  paid  out  her  $1,  and  lost  three 
years.  This  mail  order  system  is  a  great  drawback. 
It  is  all  right  in  its  place,  if  you  want  house  plants,  or 
small  ones  for  the  nursery,  where  they  can  have  special 


IN   THE  FRONT  YARD.  31 

care.  A  man  wants  an  evergreen.  If  he  gets  a  good- 
sized  one  it  will  cost  him  something.  But  he  hears 
where  he  can  get  100  seedling  evergreens  sent  hy  mail 
for  $2.00.  He  orders  them,  smiling  in  the  meantime 
at  the  way  he  has  circumvented  his  nurseryman.  He 
plants  them.  But  they  are  too  small  to  go  out  in  the 
open,  the  reflection  of  the  hot  sun  from  the  ground  kills 
them,  or  the  dry  weather,  or  the  weeds  take  them.  Per- 
haps 4  or  5  will  live,  and  they  are  little  sickly  things, 
and  the  money  is  gone,  and  the  time  lost,  and  nothing  to 
show. 

So  for  immediate  use  for  outdoor  planting  the  mail 
order  system  is  a  delusion  and  a  snare.  But  it  is  very 
hard  for  people  to  see  the  difference  between  a  chicken 
that  has  just  learned  to  peep  and  the  fine  fat  fowl  all 
ready  for  market. 

Another  serious  drawback  is  the  tree  fakir.  He 
was  built  without  a  conscience.  He  never  comes  to  the 
same  place  twice.  It  isn't  safe.  He  sells  an  immense 
amount  of  lip  and  cheek  and  very  poor  stock.  I  met 
one  not  long  ago,  who  told  me  how  he  worked  it.  Said 
he:  ^'T  sell  7,000  roses  a  year  at  $1.50  each.  I  just 
razzle  dazzle  them  with  big  names  and  down  they  go. 
I  sell  lots  of  picea  pungens — Colorado  blue  spruce.  I 
always  get  $2  apiece  for  them,  and  then  substitute  Black 
Hills  spruce,  which  I  can  buy  for  20  cents.  They  don't 
know  the  difference." 

The  tree  fakir  is  a  hynotist.  He  gets  his  customer 
in  a  corner  and  he  is  at  his  mercy. 

My  neighbor  thought  she  would  try  a  new  man,  and 


32  THE    GOLD    MINE 

he  came  along  with  abundant  professions  of  double  dis- 
tilled honesty.  That  is,  he  said  he  was  honest,  and  he 
ran  down  those  mean  fellows  who  would  betray  the  con- 
fidence of  their  customers.  For  instance,  he  allowed 
no  man  to  plant  his  stock  but  himself.  He  wouldn't 
trust  them.  He  would  plant  them  so  as  to  be  sure  they 
would  grow.  He  had  something  brand  new,  which  for 
size,  fragrance  and  blooming  capacity  put  every  known 
variety  in  the  shade. 

He  would  sell  his  roses  for  the  very  low  price  of 
$2.00  each.  She  said  she  would  take  three.  He  plant- 
ed them  that  day,  and  she  paid  him  $6.00.  They  were 
nothing  but  wild  rose  bushes,  and  dead  at  that. 

Such  men  discourage  people.  But  they  are  a  race  by 
themselves.  I  have  known  them  to  sell  very  choice 
kinds  of  apple  trees  for  76  cents  each,  and  then  go  to  a 
nurseryman's  brush  pile  and  pick  out  refuse  trees  and 
tag  them  and  palm  them  off  .at  such  high  figures.  So 
beware  of  the  tree  fakir. 

On  the  other  hand,  there  is  no  class  of  men  who  are 
doing  more  for  the  material  benefit  of  the  country  than 
our  hard  working,  enterprising  nurserymen  and  their 
agents.  They  are  straightforward  and  honest.  They 
have  to  be.  It  gives  them  the  heartache  sometimes  to 
see  their  experience  and  integrity  all  set  aside  for  the 
fakir.  With  too  many  all  that  is  needed  to  secure  an 
unlimited  confidence  in  the  dealer  is  that  he  is  a  perfect 
stranger.      Then  he  is  trusted  implicitly. 

Your  nearby  nurseryman  has  his  reputation  at  stake. 
He  has  a  sort  of  fatherly  interest  in  every  tree  and 


IN  THE   FRONT  YARD.  33 

plant  that  goes  out.  He  wants  them  to  live,  and  he  re- 
joices in  your  success. 

Again,  his  advice  is  worth  much.  He  can  tell  you 
what  will  succeed  and  what  will  not.  Every  nursery- 
man who  does  an  extensive  business  has  spent  hundreds, 
if  not  thousands,  of  dollars  in  finding  out  what  he  could 
not  do ;  and  he  would  give  you  the  benefit  of  his  experi- 
ence. If  you  don't  take  his  advice,  you  will  meet  some 
fakir,  or  you  will  get  some  fine  eastern  catalogue,  giving 
a  description  of  things  that  do  well  there,  and  you  will 
be  tempted  to  buy.  Perhaps  you  are  attracted  by  the 
charming  pictures  of  the  kalmias,  azaleas  and  rhodo- 
dendrons. You  just  buy  the  pictures  if  you  wish,  but 
let  the  plants  alone ;  for  you  can  no  more  raise  them  in 
most  parts  of  the  west  than  you  can  raise  peaches  on 
the  north  pole. 

We  will  endeavor  to  give  you  a  list  of  stock  that  will 
succeed  in  your  section,  and  if  you  are  in  doubt  consult 
the  nearest  responsible  nurseryman  or  the  superintendent 
of  your  state  experiment  station. 

But  let  us  return  to  this  penuriousness  which  strikes 
a  person  as  soon  as  he  steps  out  of  doors.  He  has  built 
a  good  house.  Why  don't  he  and  his  wife  go  to  the  sec- 
ond hand  store  and  hunt  up  the  cheapest  bargains  and 
buy  some  old  rag  carpets,  and  rickety  chairs,  and  cheap 
tables  with  broken  wings,  and  bedsteads  with  those  tell- 
tale specks  on  them,  just  because  they  are  cheap  ?  O  no. 
They  must  have  nice  carpets,  good  furniture,  and  every- 
thing to  match.     A  $50  rug  is  just  the  thing  for  the 


34  THE    GOLD   MINE 

sitting  room  and  a  $25  mirror  is  the  thing  and  the 
chamber  suits  must  all  be  first  class. 

Now  the  outdoor  furnishing  will  cost  something.  A 
beautiful  silver  spruce  is  $2.00,  a  silver  cedar  about  the 
same,  choice  tree  lilacs  are  scarce  and  cannot  be  bought 
for  a  song,  choice  sjringas  and  spires  will  be  Avorth 
25  to  50  cents  apiece.  Tulips  will  be  $2  or  $3  per  100. 
You  should  have  as  many  as  that.  You  can  get  lots  of 
paconies  for  $10  per  100,  but  you  had  better  pay  $1  each 
for  a  few  choice  ones.  Remember  you  cannot  get  some- 
thing for  nothing.  Do  keep  away  from  the  bargain  coun- 
ter. There  is  nothing  so  expensive  as  cheap,  poorly  han- 
dled nursery  stock.  You  should  begin  right.  You  go  into 
that  new  house  and  home,  and  the  moment  you  enter  it 
it  begins  to  depreciate  in  value.  Use  your  carpets  and 
furniture  a  year  and  they  become  second  hand  goods. 
But  it  is  not  so  with  youT  front  yard.  Every  tree, 
shrub  and  flower  you  plant  is  at  work  developing  your 
gold  mine.  You  lay  out  $50  and  it  soon  grows  to  $100. 
If  you  want  to  raise  poultry  to  sell,  it  is  cheaper  to  pay 
$2  per  dozen  for  a  choice  strain  of  Plymouth  Rocks  or 
Brown  Leghorns  than  to  pay  25  cents  a  dozen  for  eggs 
from  common  fowls.  You  can  get  all  the  old  fashioned 
lilacs  you  want  for  5  cents  apiece,  but  you  cannot  get  the 
best  kinds  for  that.  You  can  get  a  common  soft  maple 
for  25  cents,  and  it  will  grow  to  -be  a  tree.  You  will 
have  to  pay  $2  for  a  Schwedlerii  purple  leafed  maple 
whose  crown  in  springtime  will  seem  like  a  brilliant, 
mammoth  paeony  outlined  against  the  sky,  but  the  lat- 
ter will  pay  the  best  in  the  long  run. 


IN   THE  FRONT   YARD.  35 

Your  home  should  be  like  a  beautiful  picture,  and 
your  gTounds  should  be  like  a  fitting  home  for  it. 

Don't  be  satisfied  with  putting  a  thousand  dollar  pic- 
ture in  a  ten  cent  frame. 


CHAPTEK  V. 

LAYING  OUT   THE   GROUNDS. 

Much  depends  on  a  plan.  Some  plant  in  a  haphaz- 
ard way  and  if  they  find  a  space  stick  in  a  tree  and  there 
is  no  system  whatever. 

You  need  a  plan  for  the  front  yard  as  well  as  when 
you  built  your  house.  We  can  give  no  definite  rules  or 
formulate  any  definite  plans;  for  in  farm  adornment 
you  do  not  want  to  run  everything  through  the  same  set 
of  molds.  You  want  diversity  and  to  have  no  tAVO 
grounds  exactly  alike. 

This  subject  of  laying  out  grounds  is  a  broad  one  and 
would  make  a  book  of  itself.  In  fact  a  good  many 
books  have  already  been  published  on  this  theme. 

S.  Parsons,  formerly  sui3erintendent  of  Central  Park, 
j^ew  York,  has  lately  written  a  work,  which  will  give 
you  some  valuable  hints.  But  it  is  better  adapted  to 
the  east  than  to  the  monotonous  west.  Remember,  how- 
ever, that  many  things  recommended,  though  they  do 
well  in  the  east,  are  worthless  in  the  west.  The  De- 
partment of  Agriculture  has  lately  published  Bulletin 
'No,  185,  ^'Beautifying  the  Home  Grounds."     Send  for 


IN  THE   FRONT  YARD.  37 

this.  It  is  free,  and  though  not  very  full,  it  gives  many 
useful  hints. 

I  will,  however,  make  some  suggestions  which  I  hope 
will  be  helpful.  I  like  what  I  term  the  amphitheater 
plan.  This  is  nature's  plan.  Often  on  the  edge  of  a  na- 
tive forest  you  will  see  little  parks  surrounded  by  trees. 
In  the  background  tall  trees.  Then  as  they  are  more 
scattering  they  branch  out  more,  and  do  not  grow  so  tall, 
and  then  as  if  to  hide  the  trunks  and  decaying  limbs 
there  will  be  prickly  ash,  high  bush  cranberries  and 
hazel  brush.  You  notice  these  grow  taller  next  to  the 
trees,  the  shade  comipelling  them  to  climb  toward  the 
light,  and  then  as  they  come  down  to  the  border  they 
spread  out  more.  This  native  park  gives  a  good  sug- 
gestion for  the  home  grounds,  which  of  course  will  be  a 
little  more  formal. 

Suppose  you  have  one  or  two  acres  you  wish  to  fix  up. 
To  the  right  and  left  on  the  sides  of  your  plat  you  plant 
a  row  of  elms.  These  are  rank,  strong  growers,  and  you 
can  depend  on  them.  'Next  plant  a  row  of  basswood  or 
native  ash,  which  do  not  grow  as  fast.  Perhaps  next  you 
will  want  a  row  of  white  spruce,  so  hardy  over  Minne- 
sota and  the  Dakotas.  IvTow  you  are  coming  down.  You 
can  back  up  against  your  trees  circles,  or  semicircles  of 
shrubbery.  If  a  circle,  put  in  a  spiraea  opulifolia  in  the 
center,  for  this  is  the  rankest  of  all.  Then  Van  Honti, 
dropping  in  now  and  then  a  golden  one.  Then  the 
Arguta.  Then  you  come  down  to  the  Collosa  and  Collosa 
Alba.      Then  the  Thunbergi,   and  lastly  the  Anthony 


38  THE    GOLD   MINE 

Waterer.     You  have  here  a  mound  of  beauty  with  a 
diversity  of  foliage  and  a  succession  of  bloom. 

For  syringaSj  put  the  strong  grandiilora  in  the  cen- 
ter. Then  coronarius.  Then  Gordons;  next  the  old 
sweet-scented  of  our  mothers.  Then  put  in  the  dwarf 
Lemoine  and  Avalanche  with  their  profusion  of  bloom. 
Here,  too,  you  have  a  wide  diversity  both  in  leaves  and 
flowers  and  a  wide  range  of  blooming  season. 

For  lilacs,  put  a  tree  lilac  in  the  center,  either  the 
Chinese  or  the  Japanese,  then  the  Villosa  of  half  tree 
form,  then  the  Bretschneider  and  the  Josikaea,  then  the 
Emodi  and  Oblata,  then  Senator  Volland,  Charles 
X  and  others,  and  you  will  have  one  of  the  most 
charming  collections.  Some  of  the  leaves  will  be  al- 
most as  large  as  your  hand,  and  then  there  will  be  the 
exquisitely  delicate  ones  of  the  pekinensis  and  the  cut 
leafed  Persian,  while  the  time  of  blooming  will  range 
from  early  spring  till  near  the  first  of  July. 

Now  your  amphitheater  is  coming  down  toward  the 
arena.  Bring  on  the  perennials  and  back  them  up 
against  the  shrubbery.  There  are  the  tall  and  showy 
tiger  lilies,  then  the  rank  growing  delphiniums  or  lark- 
spurs, with  their  immense  spikes  of  bloom — hardy  up 
in  Manitoba.  You  should  not  have  formal  or  continuous 
rows  all  the  way.  Make  breaks  here  and  there.  Xow 
put  in  the  radiant  phloxes.  Then  the  oriental  poppies, 
with  their  flamelike  splendor.  Then  Gaillardias.  Some- 
where in  the  background  you  will  want  cannas.  They 
vary.  Pillar  of  Fire  grows  7  feet  tall,  holding  up  a 
bloom  like  a  torch  of  flame.     These  go  in  the  background 


IN  THE  FRONT  YARD.  39 

and  those  more  dwarfish  in  habit  are  placed  at  the  front. 
You  have  now  come  down  to  your  walk.  You  can  have 
a  patch  of  grass  if  you  wish.  You  will  probably  have 
two  walks.  Between  them  you  can  have  grass  or  flow- 
ers. 'Near  the  road  will  be  the  grassy  lawn.  Let  this 
be  open  unless  you  put  in  a  Colorado  Blue  Spruce  or  a 
White  Spruce  from  your  northern  forests.  If  you  have 
trees  on  the  roadway  keep  them  trimmed  up  so  the  view 
will  not  be  obstructed. 

I  should  have  a  large  bed  of  tulips  near  the  house  to 
give  their  early  spring  cheer  and  the  promise  of  summer 
unfolding  glory.  These  bloom  and  wither,  but  you  can 
plant  alternate  rows  of  phloxes,  which  the  last  of  June 
will  commence  their  work.  By  this  arrangement  you 
can  stand  in  your  porch  and  receive  the  smiles  and  the 
salutations  of  this  field  of  loveliness  and  in  the  afternoon 
your  tired  wife  can  visit  with  the  best  dressed  and  most 
fashionable  and  aristocratic  company  on  earth — those 
that  never  gossip,  that  do  their  utmost  to  please  her, 
that  fairly  worship  her  as  a  goddess  with  their  sweet 
incense.  This  plan  unfolds  the  whole  scene  at  a 
glance  and  enables  the  passerby  to  see  it  also.  A  man 
does  not  make  all  this  outlay  for  himself  alone.  It  is 
for  his  friends  and  neighbors  and  that  lovely  scene  will 
silently  preach  the  evangel  of  beauty  to  all  that  pass  by. 
One  beautiful  yard  in  a  neighborhood  would  be  an  in- 
spiration to  a  whole  community.  The  time  will  come 
when  the  tired  farmer  will  take  a  half  day  off  and  spend 
it  i^rofitably  in  the  grounds  of  his  progressive  neighbor. 

Flowers  need  not  be  confined  to  the  front;  there  can 


40  THE    GOLD    MINE 

be  some  between  the  vegetable  garden  and  the  house 
— ^companions  of  the  wife  as  she  does  her  work. 

There  is  another  system  which  is  the  opposite  of  the 
open  one.  Your  grounds  are  hidden  by  a  hedge  and  you 
have  winding  walks ;  and  as  you  turn  you  have  altogether 
new  views  and  are  in  a  sort  of  a  labyrinth  of  beauty. 
The  house  is  hidden  so  that  when  you  come  upon  it  it 
seems  like  a  new  discovery.  The  old  English  system 
was  one  of  seclusion.  A  high  wall  with  coping  of  rag- 
ged stone  or  glass  from  broken  bottles,  making  it  hard 
to  climb,  enclosed  the  grounds.  Thus  secluded  from 
public  gaze  the  owner  had  everything  to  himself  and  his 
special  friends.     But  this  is  rather  a  selfish  plan. 

If  you  go  to  the  Shaw  Gardens  at  St.  Louis,  you  will 
find  that  the  founder  brought  this  system  from  England 
and  enclosed  a  portion  of  the  grounds  with  high  walls 
and  iron  gates. 

If  you  can  afford  it,  it  would  be  well  to  consult  a  land- 
scape gardener  like  Mr.  Nutter  of  Minneapolis,  who 
makes  this  matter  a  life  study.  If  you  cannot,  get  what 
aids  you  can  and  in  the  long  winter  evenings  take  your 
rule  and  paper  and  make  a  plat,  planning  for  every 
tree  and  shrub  and  the  distance  apart,  so  when  spring 
comes  you  will  know  where  everything  belongs.  You 
will  find  this  a  delightful  study,  forecasting  the  future 
and  living  on  anticipation  of  a  fair  elysium  which  is  to 
front  your  home. 


IN  THE   FRONT  YARD.  41 


CAUTION. 


In  all  your  plans  do  not  forget  that  these  choice 
things  must  have  constant  care  and  good  cultivation. 
It  is  a  sad  sight  to  see  grounds  well  planted  left  to 
weeds,  which  like  robbers  delight  in  stealing  the  food 
which  belongs  to  the  flowers. 

Plant  early  in  the  spring.  Do  not  wait  for  the  trees 
to  leave  out  first.  Serious  losses  result  from  late  plant- 
ing. The  tree  wants  time  to  get  ready  for  its  summer 
work  and  start  the  roots  before  the  leaves  appear.  See 
that  the  soil  is  pressed  firmly  around  the  roots.  Plant  a 
little  deeper  than  they  were  in  the  nursery.  Always 
plant  in  a  slight  depression,  never  on  a  mound  or  ridge. 
Remember  ^^eternal  vigilance"  is  the  price  of  beauty  as 
well  as  liberty.  But  working  among  these  lovely  things 
and  caring  for  them  is  one  of  the  most  delightful  occu- 
pations on  earth. 


CHAPTEK  VI. 

HINTS    AND    SUGGESTIONS— SELECTING    TREES    AND 
SHRUBS. 

You  should  choose  for  hardiness  those  that  grow  nat- 
urally in  your  own  neighborhood,  and  those  that  have 
been  well  tested  and  are  recommended  by  your  nursery- 
man. 

For  instance,  I  found  in  Manitoba  that  cottonwood 
did  well,  and  yet  care  must  be  taken  to  secure  northern 
trees.  Those  that  came  from  Iowa  or  l^ebraska  would 
not  answer  at  all. 

Eastern  butternuts  are  worthless  in  E'ebraska,  and 
yet  they  grow  wild  a  hundred  miles  north  of  St.  Paul, 
and  probably  those  would  be  all  right  anywhere  in  the 
west. 

Some  one  says  ^^plant  red  cedar.''  That  dejpends  on 
where  you  get  them.  Those  growing  in  your  own 
neighborhood  are  all  right.  Those  grown  in  southern 
Illinois  are  tender  in  ^Nebraska,  and  the  famous  Platte 
cedar  will  not  do  in  E'orth  Dakota. 

That  is  one  trouble  Avith  fruits.  Apples  that  do  well 
in  Illinois  and  Iowa  are  worthless  in  Minnesota,  and 
at  infinite  expense  and  patience  a  new  race  has  been  cre- 
ated. It  has  taken  a  generation  to  move  apples  three 
hundred  miles  north.    Years  ago  I  sent  seed  of  the  pon- 


IN   THE  FRONT   YARD.  43 

derosa  pine  and  concolor  fir  to  Prof.  Green.  He  raised 
beautiful  trees  from  them.  But  the  winter  of  1904  was 
famous  for  its  death  waves  which  sought  out  the  weak 
spots  of  everything.  It  hit  Nebraska  and  damaged  many 
things  supposed  to  be  ironclad,  and  then  it  hit  Prof. 
Green's  plantation  hard,  and  many  pines  went  under 
and  others  had  a  ragged  look  and  many  of  the  beau- 
tiful concolor  firs  were  killed  outright. 

What  was  the  trouble?  The  seeds  were  gathered 
from  the  foothills  of  the  Eockies.  Had  it  been  taken 
from  the  high  altitudes  where  for  ages  the  trees  had 
been  inured  to  deep  snows  and  intense  cold  they  would 
have  been  all  right.  The  picea  pungens  and  Engleman 
spruce  are  taken  from  an  elevation  of  10,000  feet,  and 
they  are  hardy  in  Manitoba. 

White  spruce  from  Maine  and  [N'orthern  Michigan 
are  worthless  in  ISTebraska. 

But  a  portion  of  that  great  family  have  worked  their 
way  down  in  the  Black  Hills  about  300  miles  north  in 
a  dryer  climate.  They  are  the  identical  white  spruce, 
but  as  their  habitat  borders  on  the  great  plains  they 
are  all  right.  White  spruce  from  the  northern  part  of 
Minnesota  can  probably  be  moved  down  to  any  part  of 
the  state.  We  can  move  the  conifer  of  the  Kocky 
Mountain  foothills  down  to  almost  any  portion  of  iN^e- 
braska  and  have  it  do  well.  But  you  cannot  always 
move  it  north  with  safety.  A  state  will  have  many  dis- 
tinct districts.  For  instance,  white  pine  and  E'orway 
spruce  will  do  in  our  river  counties,  when  west  of  the 
100th  meridian  they  are  worse  than  Avorthless.      The 


44  THE    GOLD   MINE 

Scotch  pine  is  a  good  tree  for  the  north,  but  it  cannot 
live  where  the  hot  winds  sweep  the  great  plains.  On 
the  other  hand  the  Austrian  pine  for  adaptability  leads 
all  the  conifers  in  most  of  the  states  west  of  the  Missou- 
ri river.  I  have  seen  splendid  specimens  in  Oklahoma, 
and  on  the  dry  Kansas  and  I^Tebraska  plains,  x^orway 
spruce  and  white  pines  do  well  in  Eastern  Minnesota, 
Avhile  in  the  western  part  of  the  state  and  in  the  Da- 
kotas  they  would  be  very  uncertain.  Again  there  are 
some  foreign  trees  that  surprise  us  by  their  adaptation 
to  most  of  our  conditions.  The  European  mountain  ash 
is  a  success  if  you  can  keep  the  body  from  sunscald. 
European  w^hite  birch  in  most  of  the  west  does  better 
than  the  American  type.  The  Russian  olive  is  one  of 
the  hardiest  trees  for  the  semi-arid  west  and  northwest. 
For  15  years  under  the  100th  meridian  in  Nebraska  it 
took  the  lead  for  size  and  vigor  of  all  the  native  trees. 
After  that  it  gave  attention  to  producing  seed  in  im- 
mense quantities,  which  dwarfed  it  and  allowed  other 
trees  to  get  ahead  of  it.  Eor  a  time  it  headed  the  list 
as  the  best  forest  tree  for  the  plains.  The  JSTorway 
maples  seem  hardy  in  our  Northwestern  states.  There 
are  often  freaks  also  among  our  ornamental  shrubs. 

While  in  Manitoba  I  was  surprised  to  see  the  spiraea 
opulifolia,  which  I  supposed  the  tenderest  of  the  whole 
family,  doing  well.  We  are  a  little  fearful  of  things  that 
come  from  China  and  Japan,  yet  at  Brandon  there  was 
the  villosa  lilac,  which  I  thought  would  prove  the  most 
tender  of  all.  The  Japanese  tree  lilac  is  a  great  suc- 
cess on  the  Minnesota  experiment  grounds  and  Prof. 


IN   THE  FRONT   YARD.  47 

Green  has  raised  them  bj  the  hundreds  from  seeds 
grown  there. 

As  a  general  thing  the  deutzias  are  worthless  in  the 
west  and  the  syringa  or  Philadelphus  is  shy  about  cross- 
ing the  Manitoba  line.  They  seem  to  be  doing  all  right 
on  the  experiment  grounds  of  the  agricultural  college 
of  Minnesota. 

So  you  see  the  need  of  consulting  your  nurseryman, 
who  has  given  years  to  patient  research  and  experiments. 
Don't  trade  off  his  experience  for  the  alluring  pictures 
and  smooth  tongue  of  the  tree  fakir.  It  is  of  prime  im- 
portance to  plant  things  that  will  live.  It  is  sad  to 
think  of  the  millions  expended  on  failures.  While  out 
lecturing  for  our  university  in  a  distant  city,  in  an  ad- 
dress I  noted  that  many  things,  especially  azaleas,  could 
not  be  made  to  live  in  I^ebraska.  A  gentleman  took 
me  to  task.  ^'You  just  walk  three  blocks  and  I  will 
show  you  one  of  the  finest  azaleas  you  ever  set  eyes 
on.''  Said  I:  ^'I  would  walk  ten  miles  to  see  a  good 
thrifty  azalea  growing  in  this  vicinity  for  I  lost  500  of 
as  fine  plants  as  I  ever  saw  and  they  were  under  a 
screen  at  that.  You  cannot  make  them  live  in  our  soil." 
^^Well,  I'll  show  you  and  I  have  ordered  12  azaleas.  I 
am  to  pay  $12  for  them."  He  triumphantly  showed  me 
a  fine  bush  which  he  and  the  owner  said  was  one  brilliant 
mass  of  bloom.  ^'But  where  is  your  azalea  ?"  I  asked. 
"That  bush  is  a  wigelia."  The  man  was  crestfallen. 
''Well,"  said  he,  ''I  am  in  for  it.  But  I'll  let  my  order 
stand."     I  told  him  he  might  as  well  plant  oranges. 

There    are   some   things   we   cannot   account   for   in 


48  THE    GOLD   MINE 

shrubs.  We  can  only  determine  their  adaptability  by 
actual  test.  For  instance  Prof.  G-reen  says  that  in  the 
genial  climate  of  the  Kew  Gardens  of  England  the 
hydrangea  grandiflora  is  not  considered  hardy,  while 
it  grows  to  a  tree  in  Minneapolis  and  laughs  at  40  below\ 
I  also  saw  it  in  Manitoba. 

RAISING   PLANTS    FROM    SEEDS. 

In  the  west  and  northwest  we  often  have  strong  drying 
winds  just  at  the  time  when  we  want  to  plant  seeds. 
Many  of  our  perennials  and  annuals  have  very  small 
seeds.  Even  nurserymen  do  not  attempt  to  raise  colum- 
bines, oriental  poppies,  gaillardias  and  phloxes  from 
seed,  but  get  the  plants  from  the  east.  Unless  one  is 
short  of  means  and  has  a  little  extra  time  he  would  bet- 
ter not  bother  with  seeds  but  get  well  established  plants. 

You  must  observe  this  rule  about  planting  seeds :  the 
smaller  they  are  the  shallower.  If  you  want  to  raise 
celery  (some  of  you  have  tried  it)  you  have  found  it 
could  have  only  a  slight  covering,  while  if  you  plant  a 
black  walnut  it  should  go  four  or  five  inches  deep. 

Another  thing :  the  ground  must  never  dry  while  seed 
is  germinating.  This  is  fatal.  There  may  be  moisture 
enough  to  start  them,  then  there  comes  a  drying  wind, 
and  that  is  the  end  of  it.  Often  complaint  is  made 
about  the  seeds  when  the  trouble  is  with  the  grower  and 
the  weather.  Some  extremely  small  seeds  are  best  start- 
ed in  the  house.  Plant  very  shallow  in  a  pan.  Often 
we  just  dust  a  little  earth  over  them  and  then  put  on 
sifted  moss,  which  will  retain  the  moisture.     A  piece  of 


IN  THE  FRONT  YARD.  49 

gunnjsacking  or  soft  cloth  that  will  keep  moist  will 
answer;  and  this  is  kept  damp  all  the  while,  and  is 
removed  as  soon  as  the  tiny  plants  appear. 

I  have  been  troubled  immensely  in  trying  to  grow 
seeds  out  of  doors  in  the  uncertain  climate  of  the  west, 
till  with  long  and  patient  experiments  I  solved  the 
problem.  Take  boards  about  a  foot  wide  and  build  a  pen 
4x16;  or  make  your  bed  according  to  the  number  of 
plants  you  want  to  raise.  I  often  have  20  of  that 
size.  'JSTail  laths  together  on  crosspieces  to  shut  out  half 
the  sun.  It  takes  about  16  laths  for  a  square.  Your 
crosspieces  are  nailed  on  about  two  inches  from  the  ends 
of  the  laths.  Push  the  alternate  laths  over  a  little  so  you 
will  gain  a  little  more  than  four  feet  in  the  length  of 
your  square.  You  will  find  this  an  advantage,  for  they 
will  catch  on  the  boards  more  readily  and  will  not  be  so 
easily  blown  off.  You  must  brace  the  square  so  it  will 
not  get  out  of  shape,  ^ow  prepare  the  soil  in  your  pen 
thoroughly.  You  can  do  it  best  before  your  pen  is  made. 
Have  the  gi'ound  perfectly  level.  Sow  the  seed  and 
cover  according  to  the  size  of  the  seed.  See  that  the 
earth  is  moist  and  in  good  condition  before  you  sow. 
Having  covered  the  seed  put  gimnysacking  over  them 
and  give  them  a  good  soaking  every  night.  Your  screens 
are  made  so  you  can  put  them  on  and  off  readily.  You 
must  take  them  off  to  water  of  course.  Keep  them  on 
all  the  time.  When  your  seeds  begin  to  come  up  (and 
they  cannot  help  coming  up  with  this  process)  take 
of  the  gimnysacking  and  water  as  the  plants  need  it. 
If  you  are  raising  oriental  poppies  keep  the    screen  on 


50  THE    GOLD    MINE 

all  summer.  I  lost  50,000  one  year  by  taking  off  the 
screen.  It  is  different  with  gaillardias  and  columbines. 
When  they  are  well  rooted  take  off  the  screens.  They 
do  better  in  the  full  sunlight. 

How  $10  mn  he  made  to  groiu  to  $1,000.  If  I  were 
on  a  farm  I  know  that  in  a  few  years  I  could  accom- 
plish it,  and  it  is  largely  by  the  processes  I  am  de- 
scribing that  I  have  succeeded  in  producing  one  of  the 
largest  ornamental  nurseries  in  the  west  in  a  short  space 
of  time.  If  you  only  knew  it,  there  is  a  whole  bank  of 
money  in  your  brain  and  hands:  Six  years  ago  I 
found  myself  disabled,  so  I  had  to  leave  in  a  measure  a 
professional  life  which  I  had  carried  on  for  more  than 
forty  years.  My  health  was  poor  and  nerves  worn 
threadbare  by  a  strenuous  life.  I  found  myself  without 
money  and  the  wolf  of  want  was  looking  in  at  the  door. 
Too  many  under  the  circumstances  would  have  been 
appalled.  But  all  along  I  had  taken  delight  in  horti- 
culture and  for  years  kept  a  state  experiment  station. 
An  important  position  in  the  east  placed  me  in  contact 
with  the  Massachusetts  Horticultural  Society,  of  which 
I  became  a  member,  where  I  formed  the  acquaintance 
with  some  of  the  foremost  men  in  the  nursery  business. 
Of  course  I  got  all  I  could  out  of  them.  I  had  a  splen- 
did opportunity  to  see  the  parks  and  private  grounds 
of  Kew  England,  and  get  acquainted  with  the  superin- 
tendents and  gardeners.  I  gathered  and  stored  all  the 
items  I  came  across,  and  when  I  must  give  up  my  life 
work  I  had  shattered  health,  no  money  to  speak  of — 
just  head  and  hands,  ^^heart  within  and  God  overhead," 


IN  THE  FRONT   YARD.  51 

and  good,  kind  old  Mother  Nature  ready  to  take  me  by 
the  hand.  I  went  to  work  and  pulled  a  nursery  out  of 
my  head  and  hands  which  visitors  tell  me  is  the  best  in 
its  line  west  of  Chicago,  and  I  think  they  are  correct. 

Here  are  thousands  of  lilacs  in  50  different  kinds, 
20  kinds  of  syringas  and  as  many  of  spiraeas,  a  fine 
lot  of  viburnums,  $5,000  worth  of  paeonies  in  400 
varieties  and  perhaps  200,000  choice  perennials.  When 
I  talk  of  gold  mines  I  am  no  parlor  knight.  I  have 
done  most  of  the  work  myself  at  an  age  when  most  men 
retire.  I  do  not  mention  this  in  a  spirit  of  egotism,  but 
simply  to  show  what  an  old  man  thrown  aside  can  do ; 
and  a  young  man  certainly  has  greater  advantages. 

If  we  could  call  our  powers  into  phay  we  could  dress 
up  this  dirty  old  world  of  ours  so  the  angels  would  hard- 
ly know  it. 

How  it  was  done. 

I  planted  a  lot  of  evergreen  seed,  using  the  screen  sys- 
tem. Then  a  lot  of  perennials,  and  they  grew.  I 
secured  a  few  lilacs  of  leading  sorts  and  grafted  them, 
a  bit  of  scion  on  a  piece  of  lilac  root  just  as  the  nur- 
seryman makes  his  apple  grafts.  I  found  that  most 
kinds  of  spiraeas,  notably  Van  Honti  and  opulifolia, 
would  grow  from  cuttings  like  willows,  and  so  with  the 
Philadelphus  or  syringas.  One  plant  in  a  short  time 
would  make  100,  and  then  1,000.  I  planted  late  in 
the  fall  and  mulched,  or  else  early  in  the  spring.  I 
secured  a  lot  of  choice  trees  when  they  were  small 
and  then  planted  them  on  rich  land,  and  looked  on  to 
see  them  grow.     Choice  paeonies,  some  costing  $2  to 


52  THE    GOLD    MINE 

$5,  I  found,  if  well  cultivated  in  rich  ground,  mul- 
tiplied fast.  And  now,  my  dear  reader,  if  I  can  only 
^^stir  up  the  gift  that  is  in  you"  and  have  your  hand 
know  its  cunning  and  your  brain  its  power  and  re- 
sources, I  shall  feel  that  I  have  done  a  good  work. 
We  talk  of  waste  and  there  is  too  much  of  it.  For 
two  years  the  farmers  of  ISTebraska  lost  wheat  enough 
to  easily  feed  the  whole  state,  by  just  waiting  for  a 
threshing  machine  so  they  could  thresh  out  of  the 
shock.  But  the  greatest  waste  is  in  our  unused  and 
undeveloped   powers   and   uneducated   hands. 

DOGS  AND  FLOWERS. 

I  sometimes  think  our  boasted  civilization  lies  along 
the  borders  of  barbarism, — a  worthless  dog  preferred 
to  a  winsome  child. 

^^E'us,"  said  a  little  felloAV  who  was  taking  an  air- 
ing in  his  little  carriage,  'Vho  yas  dat  lady  wid  a 
little  dog  dat  tissed  me?" 

"Why,   that  was  your   mamma." 

There  are  thousands  of  childless  people  who  center 
their  affections  on  a  contemptible  cur. 

A  friend  of  mine  was  taking  a  ride  on  the  cars. 
Near  Kansas  City  a  girl  got  in  bringing  a  little  pug 
in  her  arms.  She  coddled  him  and  petted  him  and 
then  said:  "Does  the  little  darling  want  a  drink  of 
water?"  She  took  a  beautiful  gold  lined  cup,  got  it 
full  of  water  and  gave  the  beast  a  drink.  He  took 
half  of  it,  slobbering  all  over  the  cup,  and  she  drank 
the  rest  of  it.     Miss  Dilletante,  living  down  east,  said 


IN  THE   FRONT  YARD.  53 

with   a  sigh,   ''I  must  go  to  Florida  this  winter,  for 
Fido  is  ailing.'^ 

Could  such  things  cultivate  flowers  and  dogs,  too? 
Here  in  l^ebraska  a  banker  sent  for  quite  a  bill  of 
choice  stock.  He  was  willing  to  pay  a  good  price.  A 
year  after  he  wrote  me  that  though  the  stock  seemed 
fine,  yet  it  was  not  doing  well.  I  went  to  see  him, 
and  a  more  woe-begone  and  bedraggled  lot  of  stuff  I 
never  saw.  The  beautiful  evergreens  which  should 
have   been   a   pride   and   a   joy  were   sick   and   dying. 

^'How  many  dogs  do  you  keep?"  I  asked. 

^^Six." 

^'I  should  think  so,  by  the  way  they  have  got  in 
their  work." 

I  was  angry  to  see  the  finest  trees  that  money  could 
produce  ruined  in  that  way. 

I  heard  J.  W.  Manning,  the  leading  horticulturist 
of  Massachusetts,  say  in  the  Horticultural  Society  of 
Boston,  '^that  dogs  ruined  more  evergreens  and  choice 
shrubs  than  all  other  causes  combined.  The  dog,  like 
death,  loves  a  shining  mark,  and  his  peculiar  system 
of  irrigation  is  death.  So  if  you  are  bound  to  culti- 
vate dogs  you  might  as  well  give  up  flowers.  On  the 
farm  a  good  shepherd  dog  is  often  a  necessity  and  he 
has  generally  enough  to  do  to  keep  out  of  mischief. 

I  am  often  annoyed  by  great  worthless  dogs  rushing 
in  among  my  flowers  and  breaking  or  tearing  them 
down.  A  dog  has  no  more  right  to  run  at  large  than 
has  a  cow  or  horse. 

It  is  sometimes  pathetic  to  see  a  lady  try  to  cul- 


54  THE    GOLD    MINE 

tivate  dogs  and  flowers  in  the  same  yard.  She  plants 
a  bulb  and  the  dear  little  doggie  digs  it  np  to  see 
what  it  is.  She  has  a  choice  bed  of  flowers  and  he 
makes  his  bed  among  them,  tearing  them  down  at  his 
pleasure.  Some  people  will  persist  in  keeping  a  dog 
to  keep  off  chicken  thieves,  and  his  bark  will  keep 
people  awake  for  several  blocks  and  he  will  rob  the 
neighbors  out  of  a  thousand  dollars  worth  of  sleep  to 
save  a  50  cent  chicken,  when  the  chicken  wasn't  in 
any  danger.  Well,  take  your  choice,  dogs  or  flowers; 
but  I  would  infinitely  rather  take  the  flowers. 


CHAPTER  VIL 

PLANTING  FOR  FOLIAGE   EFFECT. 

Landscape  gardeners  differ  in  taste  and  also  in  ad- 
vice. Some  plant  a  large  number  of  trees  with  dif- 
ferent shades  in  their  leaves  and  some  discard  them 
altogether  and  insist  on  the  universal  green.  But  ^Na- 
ture  loves  variety  and  gives  it  to  us  and  we  may  as 
well  use  it. 

TKEES  OF  SILVER  FOLIAGE. 

The  Bollearm  Poplar  is  a  charming  tree,  in  form 
much  like  the  Lombardy  only  more  compact.  The 
upper  side  of  the  leaves  is  green  and  the  under  side  is 
white.  I  do  not  know  how  long  lived  it  will  be.  It 
does  not  seem  as  vigorous  as  some  others,  and  though 
hardy  enough  in  resisting  the  cold  it  seems  liable  to 

disease. 

The  Ahele  also  belongs  to  the  poplar  family.  This 
was  brought  from  Europe  and  though  quite  hardy  it 
seldom  makes  a  good  straight  tree,  and  sprouts  as  badly 
as  the  black  locust. 

The  Nivea,  more  recently  introduced,  is  a  desira- 
ble tree.  It  is  a  more  rapid  grower,  has  larger  leaves 
and  a  much  better  form. 

The  Russian  Olive  is  hardy  all  over  the  northwest.   It 


56  THE    GOLD    MINE 

is  very  attractive  where  you  can  get  it  into  shape.  But 
growing  it  is  the  terror  of  the  nurseryman.  It  re- 
quires more  training,  trimming  and  scolding  than 
any  other  tree.  It  is  inclined  to  sprawl  and  branch 
and  grow  bushy.  But  once  they  get  it  in  shape,  it  is 
one  of  the  finest  we  have.  It  has  four  silvery  tints, 
one  on  the  upper  and  another  on  the  under  side  of 
the  leaves.  '  The  growing  twigs  have  yet  another  and 
the  fruit  is  burnished  silver.  You  watch  it  when  the 
breeze  is  playing  with  it  and  mingling  all  these  shades, 
and  you  will  deem  it  one  of  the  finest  you  ever  saw. 
In  the  spring  it  is  covered  with  little  golden  flowers 
and  each  one  seems  a  tiny  phial  uncorked  to  fill  all  the 
air  with  a  delicious  fragrance.  It  is  a  delightful  bee 
pasture  and  a  grove  of  them  is  filled  with  the  hum 
and  roar  of  the  delighted  honey  makers. 

The  Buffalo  Berry  belongs  to  the  same  eleagnus 
family.  They  have  an  affinity  and  I  have  grafted  one 
onto  the  other  successfully.  It  does  not  become  as 
large  a  tree  as  the  other.  In  some  localities  it  bears 
enormously.  This  also  has  sweet  scented  flowers.  The 
fruit  is  excellent,  fully  equal  to  our  currants,  with  the 
advantage  of  holding  on  till  midwinter.  In  some  lo- 
calities they  are  shy  bearers,  but  on  the  University 
experiment  grounds  at  St.  Anthony  Park  the  limbs 
were  bending  with  their  burdens  of  fruit. 

The  Regalis  or  Regal  Willow  is  the  most  beautiful  of 
all  the  willow  family.  Two  kinds  bear  this  name,  but 
the  real  one  has  leaves  burnished  satiny  silver,  delicately 
veined.     I  think  it  will  prove  hardy  anywhere. 


IN  THE  FRONT  YARD. 


GOLDEN  FOLIAGE. 


The  Van  Gertii  Golden  Poplar  seems  to  be  related 
to  the  Carolina  poplar  and  the  cottonwood  family.  It 
is  quite  yellow  while  young  but  as  the  tree  gets  age  the 
leaves  turn  to  a  pale  green. 

The  English  Golden  Oak  is  a  very  popular  tree. 
But  I  fear  '^lardy  as  an  oak"  will  not  mean  much  with 
it.  I  noticed  it  killed  back  some  with  me  last  win- 
ter. 

The  Golden  Elm  has  very  striking  foliage.  The 
color  is  clear  and  good.  Most  of  these  trees  do  not 
seem  hardy  when  quite  yoimg,  but  as  they  get  age  I 
think  they  will  be  all  right.  These  trees  of  rare  foliage 
should  be  sheltered  a  little  from  our  burning  suns.  I 
once  secured  some  variegated  catalpas.  I  saw  them 
growing  in  Waukegan,  111.,  and  they  were  so  charming 
I  must  have  them.  I  planted  them  under  the  100th 
meridian  in  Nebraska.  No  sooner  did  those  beautiful 
leaves  appear  than  they  were  burned  to  a  crisp  by  the 
hot  sun  and  drying  winds. 

A  tree  seems  sometimes  gifted  with  reason,  and  these 
seemed  to  say,  ''You  don't  like  our  style  and  we  will 
try  something  else."  They  put  out  no  more  variegated 
leaves.  The  foliage  was  like  the  other  catalpas,  only  a 
shade  lighter.  But  they  stayed  on  and  the  trees  grew 
and  kept  up  w^ith  the  others. 

There  is  a  Golden  Leaved  Ash,  but  I  have  not  tested 
it.  There  is  also  a  golden  variety  of  the  silver  maple ; 
but  I  fear  it  would  not  be  hardy  in  the  west,  for  this 


58  THE    GOLD    MINE 

species  of  maple  is  sensitive  on  being  moved  north 
very  far.  And  the  red  maple,  so  popular  in  the  east,  is 
worthless  in  Nebraska. 

The  Golden  Hop  Tree  is  a  success  in  most  of  the 
west.  It  is  a  variety  of  the  great  hop  tree  family. 
These  grow  wild  in  the  Rockies  and  in  many  parts  of 
the  United  States.  They  bear  great  clusters  of  hops. 
It  is  said  they  will  take  the  place  and  do  the  work  of 
the  vine  hops.  They  have  a  strong  hop-like  odor.  The 
yellow  type  is  fine,  only  it  is  somewhat  difficult  to  get 
the  tree  up  into  good  shape.  It  prefers  to  sprawl  and 
grow  bushy. 

Among  shrubs  we  have  the  golden  elder,  the  yellow 
spiraea  and  syringa.  IsTature  seems  to  love  the  gold. 
Along  the  foothills  and  up  in  the  Rockies  there  is  a 
marvelous  prodigality  of  this  color,  as  if  they  were  hang- 
ing out  the  sign  to  tell  of  the  rich  gold  fields  beneath. 

TKEES   OF   PUEPLE    FOLIAGE. 

The  most  conspicuous  and  attractive  of  them  all  is 
Rivers  Beach.  I  secured  some  choice  ones,  for  which 
I  paid  a  good  price  and  had  them  well  sheltered.  I 
bought  also  500  common  beach  to  bud  the  purple  ones 
on.  These  were  under  a  screen  of  lath.  They  all  got 
up  the  worst  strike  I  ever  saw.  They  utterly  refused 
to  grow  and  every  one  of  them  died.  They  joined  the 
great  procession  of  azalias  and  rhododendrons  which 
had  gone  on  before. 

So  you  see  the  need  of  consulting  your  nurseryman 
if  you  would  avoid  serious  losses. 


IN   THE  FRONT   YARD.  59 

The  Norway  Maple  is  hardy  in  the  west  and  this  has 
three  sports  or  variations  that  are  worthy  of  all  praise. 

The  Schwedlerii  or  Scliwedlers  Maple  is  a  glory, 
in  springtime  unfolding  a  massive  head  of  purple 
like  a  giant  flower  projected  against  the  sky.  It  hard- 
ly seems  possible  that  it  could  be  only  a  tree.  After- 
wards the  leaves  turn  to  a  dark  green,  while  the  new 
shoots  are  all  the  while  showing  the  purple. 

Geneva  is  another  distinct  variety  of  nearly  the 
same  color. 

Then  to  match  the  Schwedlerii  and  balance  up  the 
seasons,  we  have  the  Reitenhacli  Maple,  an  excellent 
and  striking  variety  of  pyramidal  form.  The  foliage 
is  beautiful  green  in  the  spring,  changing  to  purple 
in  midsummer  and  then  to  glov/ing  scarlet  in  the 
autumn.  Here  then  we  have  three  charming  varieties 
from  this  one  family  of  ^NTorways. 

The  purple  leafed  birch  does  well  also  in  the  west. 
I  have  seen  some  fine  specimens  in  N^orthern  Nebraska. 
Tliere  are  two  forms  of  elm  that  have  purple  leaves. 
In  one  case  the  leaf  is  a  solid  color  and  in  the  other 
case  the  foliage  is  edged  with  purple. 

Among  the  shrubs  we  have  the  purple  leafed  bar- 
berry. Justly  or  unjustly  the  barberry  family  is 
charged  with  generating  wheat  rust  just  as  the  red  cedar 
is  accused  of  generating  the  apple  rust. 

PLANTING  FOR  AUTUMN  EFFECT. 

Our  forests  and  mountains  are  famous  for  their 
splendid  coloring  after  the  first  frosts  have  come.     We 


60  THE    GOLD   MINE 

have  seen  our  western  mountains  clothed  with  marvel- 
ous tints  and  colors.  Often  excursions  are  planned 
from  the  Atlantic  cities  to  the  mountains  of  Vermont 
and  'New  Hampshire  for  the  magnificent  nature  paint- 
ings seen  nowhere  else.  The  whole  landscape  is  like  a 
canvas  broad  and  vast  on  which  pictures  are  painted 
which  thrill  the  soul. 

Said  a  gentleman  to  an  English  visitor  as  they  were 
standing  before  a  scene  of  surpassing  beauty,  when 
such  glowing  colors  under  the  clear  sky  made  the  whole 
glorious  mountain  seem  a  vast  bouquet  of  loveliness: 
"Did  you  ever  see  anything  like  that  ?"  "Well/'  was  the 
reply,  "don't  you  think  it  is  a  little  tawdry?''  Thus 
insulting  nature  in  her  glorious  temple.  He  was 
probably  brother  to  the  man  who  stood  by  l^iagara, 
when  the  thundering  waters  were  making  the  earth 
tremble.  "Did  you  ever  see  anything  like  that?  Such 
mighty  volumes  falling  into  such  a  tremendous  abyss." 
"Well,  what's  to  hinder?"  was  his  only  reply.  But 
people  are  not  all  kickers  and  cynics.  We  love  the 
beautiful.  And  when  I^ature  puts  on  her  autumn 
dress  we  can  but  admire  her.  It  is  like  the  wild  rol- 
licking festival  of  the  Latin  countries  just  before  the 
world  sobers  down  to  Lent. 

It  is  well  to  plant  for  this  color  effect.  There  are 
many  things  that  will  greatly,  aid  us  and  our  grounds 
are  large  enough.  We  can  have  much  enjoyment  along 
this  line.  Where  the  hard  maples  can  be  made  to  grow 
you  will  see  them  with  their  crowns  of  gold.  The  wild 
cherry  is  dressed  in  red  and  crimson.     The  black  haw 


IN   THE  FRONT   YARD.  61 

is  very  attractive  in  its  coat  of  many  colors.  The 
spiraea  arguta,  the  first  to  bloom  in  the  spring,  makes 
its  exit  into  winter  with  sumptuous  garments  of  gold, 
red  and  purple.  This  great  show  is  IvTature's  last  at- 
tempt to  enliven  the  world  when  the  flowers  are  all 
gone  and  the  leaves  begin  to  fall,  and  it  is  well  to  help 
her  with  her  last  carnival  of  colors. 


CHAPTEK  VIII. 

THE   LILAC. 

The  name  comes  from  the  Persian  word,  lilag,  a 
flower.  The  common  kind  has  been  in  cultivation  for 
ages.  It  probably  originated  in  Persia.  ^N'urserymen 
and  botanists  now  call  these  syringas,  and  the  syringas 
are  classed  as  Philadelphus ;  but  as  we  are  Avriting  for 
the  common  people  we  wilfuse  their  terms. 

If  one  should  ask  the  ordinary  observer  how  many 
kinds  there  were  he  would  answer  three,  the  common 
purple,  the  white  and  the  Persian.  There  are  over  130 
kinds  now  in  cultivation,  and  the  number  is  increas- 
ing by  hybridizing.  Why  this  great  family  of  hardy 
ornamentals  has  been  ignored  and  neglected  all  these 
years,  it  is  hard  to  understand,  for  they  are  exactly 
what  is  needed  to  cheer  up  the  great  northwest.  They 
are  among  the  hardiest  things  we  have,  and  there  is 
hardly  one  in  the  lars^e  collection  but  what  will  thrive 
in  Manitoba.  The  time  of  flowering  reaches  from  ear- 
ly spring  till  about  the  first  of  July,  and  the  variety 
of  foliage  is  something  wonderful,  varying  from  the 
large  corrugated  leaves  of  the  Bretschneider  to  the 
delicate  foliage  of  the  Pekinensis  and  the  feathery 
leaves  of  the  cut-leafed  Persian.  We  have  secured  a 
photo  of  half  a  dozen  kinds  to  show  the  rich  variety. 


^^    ^   l^" 


1$    ^" 


IN  THE  FRONT  YARD.  65 

In  color  the  blossoms  range  from  snowy  white  to  pur- 
ple, and  if  you  have  a  good  collection  you  will  have 
continuous  bloom  till  the  last  of  June. 

The  Vulgaris  is  the  kind  generally  used  in  the  west. 
It  is  rather  a  shy  bloomer  in  most  places.  They  are 
notorious  for  sprouting,  and  wander  out  from  the  pa- 
rent plant  almost  as  bad  as  the  Canada  thistle.  Peo- 
ple put  up  with  their  vagaries  on  account  of  their  sweet 
and  generous  blooms,  but  in  this  respect  they  are  far 
surpassed  by  some  of  the  more  modern  sorts.  Charles 
the  Tenth  ranks  among  the  best  as  a  great  bloomer. 
Belonging  to  the  Vulgaris  family  it  is  inclined  to 
sprout,  however.  There  are  manj  striking  variations 
in  this  Vulgaris  family,  and,  if  growing  near  others, 
seedlings  from  them  will  show  quite  a  variation.  We 
have  known  parties  to  raise  plants  from  seeds  of  the 
common  ones,  but  there  is  little  chance  of  improvement, 
for  ''like  begets  like."  At  the  Brandon  station  in 
Manitoba  the  superintendent  has  a  hedge  raised  from 
the  seed  of  Charles  the  Tenth,  and  I  noted  quite  a 
variation  in  the  size  of  the  bushes  and  in  the  foliage 
also,  showing  that  there  was  a  mixed  parentage  some- 
where. Mr.  Bedford  said  that  there  was  quite  a  dif- 
ference in  the  blossoms  also,  that  some  were  even 
superior  to  the  parent,  which  was  saying  a  good  deal. 

The  Persians.  These  have  slender  branches  and  are 
sure  bloomers.  They  do  not  sprout  like  the  Vulgaris, 
yet  they  multiply  from  the  stool,  and  if  these  are  taken 
up  and  pulled  apart  a  single  clump  will  often  produce 
a  dozen. 


66  THE    GOLD   MINE 

There  are  three  kinds :  The  cut-leafed,  the  common 
purple,  and  the  white — the  blossoms  are  not  pure  white, 
but  nearly  so  :  they  have  a  slight  tint.  The  cut-leafed  is 
one  of  the  most  delicate  and  beautiful  plants  in  exist- 
ence. The  foliage  alone  is  of  such  a  peculiar  type  that 
of  itself  would  be  a  sufficient  recommendation,  but  added 
to  this  it  has  sweet  purple  blossoms.  Closely  allied  to 
the  Persian,  and  hard  to  distinguish  from  it,  is  the  Eoth- 
mogensis,  sometim.es  called  the  Eouen  lilac,  because  it 
originated  there.  There  are  two  types  of  this,  the  purple 
and  the  white.  They  are  hardy  and  vigorous,  as  well  as 
profuse  bloomers.  I  imported  quite  a  lot  from  France. 
One  trouble  with  the  whites  is,  they  are  very  tardy 
bloomers.  The  common  white,  the  virginal,  and  gTan- 
diflora  alba,  all  want  to  take  their  time.  But  the  Roth- 
mogensis  alba  commences  almost  at  the  ground.  The 
first  year  from  France  some  of  them  showed  bloom 
when  only  twelve  to  eighteen  inches  high,  and  the  next 
year  they  were  covered  with  flowers  when  only  two 
feet  tall.     I  am  highly  pleased  with  them. 

The  Emodi  is  from  the  Himalayas.  It  is  a  strong, 
vigorous  shrub,  having  enormous  leaves  for  a  lilac,  and 
blooms  in  June.  There  is  a  species  of  this  called  the 
Variegated.  I  secured  some,  and  am  highly  pleased 
with  them.  In  the  dry  climate  of  the  west,  with  hot 
winds  and  hot  suns,  most  trees  and  shrubs  of  variegated 
foliage  are  sadly  affected.  However,  this  does  not  seem 
to  mind  it,  but  preserves  its  rich  coloring  through  it 
all.  I  think  this  is  a  fine  acquisition,  and  there  will 
be  a  great  demand  for  it. 


IN   THE  FRONT  YARD  67 

The  Ohlata  is  from  China.  It  has  large,  thick, 
hesLYj,  heart-shaped  leaves,  which  never  mildew.  It 
blooms  several  days  earlier  than  any  of  the  rest,  head- 
ing the  whole  procession  by  at  least  a  week.  It  has 
another  attraction  :  it  holds  its  foliage  a  long  time,  and 
in  the  fall  takes  on  a  rich,  dark  russet  color.  Like  the 
Spiraea  Argnta,  it  has  attractions  for  both  ends  of  the 
season.  We  have  two  other  remarkable  ones  from 
China.  One  is  the  Ligustriana,  resembling  the  Privet. 
It  has  long,  slender  branches  and  rather  small  leaves. 
It  grows  fifteen  to  twenty  feet  high.  The  flowers, 
which  are  yellowish  white,  hang  in  large  clusters,  usu- 
ally in  pairs.  This  is  quite  hardy,  and  seems  easy  of 
propagation.  There  is  a  variety  of  this  called  Argentia, 
said  to  have  silver  leaves.  I  have  never  seen  this,  and 
do  not  know  how  the  foliage  would  stand  our  climate. 

The  Tree  Lilacs.  Securing  these  has  been  one  of 
the  triumphs  of  horticulture.  They  are  perfectly  har- 
dy all  through  the  west. 

The  Pehinensis.  Some  fifteen  years  ago  I  planted 
some  of  these  under  the  100th  meridian,  in  Nebraska, 
where  we  have  one  of  the  most  trying  climates  in  the 
world.  We  had  three  consecutive  years  of  terrible 
drouth,  and  the  American  siroccos,  the  hot  winds  of 
the  plains,  prevailed  to  such  an  extent  that  many  trees 
Avere  wiped  out  of  existence.  Six  kinds  of  poplars  and 
as  many  kinds  of  willows  were  entirely  killed.  I  left 
the  place,  and  the  lilacs  were  left  to  the  weeds.  Yet 
the  Pekinensis  was  cheerful  and  smiling  with  bloom 
through  it  all,   and  when  the  mercury  dropped  to  35 


68  THE    GOLD    MINE 

below  it  was  all  the  same.  I  have  a  fine  grove  of  these 
trees,  now  six  years  old.  Some  of  them  are  about  a 
foot  in  circumference,  and.  fifteen  feet  tall.  They 
are  trees,  not  shrubs.  They  do  not  bloom  as  early  as 
the  bush  lilacs,  but  make  up  for  lost  time  when  they 
get  at  it.  They  have  great  spikes  of  snow  white,  honey 
scented  flowers.  If  they  never  bloomed  at  all  they 
would  be  worth  planting  on  account  of  their  gracefully 
drooping  branches  and  fine  foliage.  The  leaves  are 
small,  and  those  on  the  young  shoots  have  a  purplish 
tinge.  They  are  yet  scarce  and  high,  but  it  pays  to 
have  them.  In  the  future  they  will  be  used  for  ave- 
nues, where  their  splendid  bloom  and  pendulous  bran- 
ches will  be  very  attractive.  They  propagate  readily 
by  grafting  them  on  the  root  of  the  common  lilac. 
Only  note  this :  If  you  use  the  lateral  roots  of  the  Vul- 
garis they  will  sprout  like  the  mischief.  If  you  lake 
the  tap  roots,  they  cannot  sprout.  You  graft  just  as 
the  nurseryman  grafts  his  apples  in  winter — a  piece  of 
scion  and  a  piece  of  root  to  match.  Make  a  splic?  or 
lip  graft,  and  wind  with  waxed  thread.  Sometimes, 
when  compelled  to  use  a  lateral  root,  I  have  taken 
them  up  after  the  first  year  and  cut  off  the  Vulgaris 
root,  leaving  only  those  thrown  out  from  the  scion.  By 
doing  this  you  have  them  on  their  own  roots.  Grafted 
trees  should  be  planted  deep,  so  you  can  get  roots  from 
the  scion  of  the  tree  itself.  Otherwise  if  you  depend  on 
the  Vulgaris  root  your  tree  will  be  dwarfed.  I  much 
prefer  to  sow  the  seed  and  draw^  on  my  friends  east  for 
it.     Then  we  have  a  tree  on  its  own  roots. 


JAPAX    TREE    LILAC    ON    THE    GROUNDS    OF    C.     S.    HARRISON,    OF    YORK, 

Nebraska. 


IN   THE  FRONT  YARD.  71 

Eight  liere  let  me  say  that  the  root  of  the  Persian 
lilac  is  the  best  to  graft  on  of  anything  I  ever  tried. 
Both  the  tree  lilacs,  and  almost  all  the  other  kinds, 
take  ^vell  on  it,  and  it  does  not  sprout  like  the  Vulgaris. 
You  must  train  these  trees  to  a  single  stem.  If  not, 
they  will  branch  too  low,  or  be  bushy.  It  is  not  a  hard 
matter  to  do  this.  They  will  grow  about  as  fast  and  as 
large  as  our  native  ash.  They  require  rich  ground  and 
good  cultivation.  I  know  several  people  who  got  small 
trees,  and  put  them  in  the  sod,  and  then  complained 
that  tliey  did  not  do  well.  If  any  one  doubts  tlie  ability 
of  the  lilacs  to  make  trees,  let  him  see  the  splendid  grove 
of  them  here  in  York. 

The  Syringa  Japonica  or  Japan  Lilac.  When  this 
was  first  introduced  into  the  east  it  created  quite  a 
furor,  and  the  trees  rapidly  sold  for  $5  each.  The 
Shady  Hill  ISTursery  sent  to  Japan  for  a  bushel  of  seed, 
and  commenced  growing  them  on  a  large  scale.  One 
grcAv  from  seed,  in  the  Arnold  Arboritum,  of  J^oston, 
in  twenty  years,  to  a  height  of  thirty  feet,  and  it  was 
tl-irty  inches  around  three  feet  from  the  ground.  I 
measured  it  myself.  It  is  said  that  in  tlieir  native 
mountains  of  Japan  they  gTOw  to  be  a  foot  through  and 
fifty  feet  tall.  I  judge  this  tree  would  not  stop  till 
it  reached  those  dimensions.  They  are  hardy  in  the 
north.  Prof.  Green  has  some  fine  ones  on  the  experi- 
ment grounds  of  the  Minnesota  University,  and  he  has 
raised  hundreds  from  the  seeds  gathered  from  them. 
They  can  readily  be  grafted  on  the  root  of  the  common 
Persian  lilac. 


72  THE    GOLD   MINE 

The  Villosa  is  a  large,  strong  growing  lilac  from 
Japan.  You  might  call  it  half  tree.  I  supposed  this 
would  be  the  tenderest  of  all,  but  I  found  it  growing 
and  thriving  at  Brandon,  Manitoba.  It  has  a  purple 
blossom  in  June.  I  wish  some  one  would  graft  these 
on  tlie  tree  lilac  and  then  plant  the  seed.  I  am  sure 
desirable  results  would  be  secured.  At  first  this  one 
does  not  impress  you.  You  see  a  few  blooms,  not  ex- 
tra large.  But  some  summer  you  will  be  astonished 
to  find  the  whole  bush  turned  to  bloom,  one  great  bou- 
quet of  fragrant  loveliness.  This  does  not  graft  well, 
not  even  on  its  own  roots,  any  more  than  does  the  snow- 
ball ;  but  you  can  layer  it  just  as  you  would  the  snow- 
ball, with  the  same  results. 

Double  Flowers.  Following  the  order  of  develop- 
ment we  now  have  many  lilacs  with  double  flowers. 
The  same  results  are  reached  here  as  with  the  rose,  car- 
nation and  dahlia,  and  we  really  know  but  little  of 
what  is  before  us,  but  from  what  has  been  accom- 
plished along  these  lines  we  may  expect  great  things. 
We  have  '  among  the  doubles  Senator  Volland,  Jean 
Bart,  Emile  Lemoine,  De  Humbolt,  Linne,  Madame 
Lemoine  and  many  others. 

The  Best  Kinds.  From  my  own  experience  at  the 
York  experiment  station,  I  would  recommend  all  the 
Persians,  the  two  Rothmogensis,  Dr.  Bretschneider, 
Josekae,  the  Emodi,  green  and  variegated,  Villosa, 
Charles  the  Tenth,  Pyramidalis,  Senator  Volland, 
Glori  d'  Croncles,  Ligustriana,  and  the  two  tree  lilacs. 


IN   THE  FRONT  YARD.  73 

It  is  a  shame  to  let  the  front  yard  go  imadorned  when 
such  splendid  things  are  waiting  your  beck  to  take  their 
places  as  part  of  the  family.  They  are  ready  to  do 
their  utmost  to  cheer  and  enliven  the  home. 


CHAPTEK  IX. 

THE   VIBURNUM   OR  SNOWBALL. 

This  is  quite  a  numerous  and  interesting  family. 
Most  people  suppose  there  is  only  one,  and  that  the 
old  kind  with  which  we  are  so  familiar. 

This  is  called  Viburnum  Sterilis.  There  are  no  seeds 
following  the  great  double  flowers  which  appear  in 
spring  time.  It  generally  takes  the  bush  form,  though 
with  a  little  care  it  can  be  trained  into  a  tree,  and 
when  it  is  15  feet  tall,  with  massive  head,  covered  with 
a  profusion  of  snowy  blooms,  it  is  exceedingly  attrac- 
tive.    These  are  ordinarily  propagated  by  layers. 

Some  keep  bushes  for  that  purpose.  Pull  down  the 
lower  branches  and  cover  them  with  six  inches  of 
earth.  Allow  no  weeds  to  grow  near  and  in  the  fall 
you  will  have  nice,  well  rooted  plants.  These  are  cut 
off  and  planted  by  themselves.  I  'have  sometimes 
raised  a  dozen  from  a  single  bush.  'No  home  should 
be  without  these  snowballs.  They  are  hardy  and  great 
bloomers. 

Viburnum  Opulis  is  the  high  bush  cranberry  so  com- 
mon in  the  Minnesota  forests.  I  well  remember  in  the 
early  days  that  it  was  our  delight  in  winter  to  come 
upon  clumps  -of  these  berries  in  that  northern  land 
when  fruit  was  scarce  and  high.     One  trouble  in  rais- 


IN   THE  FRONT  YARD  75 

ing  this  kind  has  been  this :  They  grow  in  Europe  and 
in  some  of  the  eastern  states  and  for  a  long  time  I 
was  disappointed  in  them  for  they  were  not  hardy; 
but,  securing  them  from  the  north^  they  were  all  right. 
I  never  saw  a  finer  collection  than  Professor  Green  has 
at  St.  Anthony  Park.  He  went  into  the  woods  and 
secured  the  most  prolific  he  could  find,  and  propagated 
from  these,  and  they  were  very  attractive.  There 
were  great  clusters  of  bright  red  berries  hanging  on 
the  bushes  wherever  there  was  a  chance;  in  some 
cases  bending  down  the  branches  and  making  the 
little  trees  graceful  weepers.  They  do  better  shaded 
from  the  sun,  and  will  do  best  on  the  north  side  of  a 
grove.  The  Sterilis  is  a  variation  from  this  species. 
They  are  alike  in  foliage  and  the  habit  of  growth  is  much 
^he  same.  Here  you  have  a  plant  highly  useful  as  well 
as  exceedingly  beautiful.  You  have  blossoms  in  the 
spring,  and  the  whole  bush  in  the  fall  is  a  splendid 
bouquet,  with  its  glowing  red,  and  the  foliage  of  both 
species  in  the  fall  has  the  richest  of  tints,  making  a 
combination  of  effects  which  cannot  but  be  appreciated. 
You  secure  these  by  sowing  the  seeds  and  letting  them 
remain  two  winters.     Or  buy  the  bushes  ready  grown. 

Viburnum  Cassinoides  has  branches  covered  with 
white  flowers  in  June,  followed  by  black  berries  in  the 
fall. 

Dentatum  or  Dentated  Leafed  Viburnum  proves  to 
be  very  hardy  in  I^ebraska,  and  I  presume  will  be  all 
over  the  IsTorthwest.  The  leaves  of  deep  green  are 
large,  dented,  wrinkled  and  corrugated,  making  them 


76  THE    GOLD    MINE 

very  attractive.  They  have  white  flowers  in  the  spring, 
followed  bv  great  clusters  of  berries  of  shining  blue. 
They  prove  hardy  in  Manitoba. 

Vihurnum  Lentago  is  a  native  species,  growing  from 
Maine  to  Georgia.  It  is  a  handsome,  low  growing  tree 
of  great  beauty.  I  do  not  know  whether  it  has  been 
tested  fully  in  the  West.  This  is  called  the  sweet 
viburnum  or  sheep  berry.  Its  flowers  are  creamy 
white,  and  very  fragrant.  The  foliage  is  light  glossy 
gTeen,     It  has  a  profusion  of  berries  in  the  fall. 

Laiiianoides  is  another  small  and  shapely  tree  belong- 
ing to  this  family. 

Prunifolium  or  the  black  haw  also  belongs  in  this 
list,  and  it  is  interesting  to  know  that  two  of  the  impor- 
tant branches  of  this  family  are  natives  of  the  I^orth, 
and  ^'hardy  as  the  oak.'' 

With  w^hat  avidity  the  schoolboy  strays  from  the 
direct  path  going  home  to  regale  himself  with  the  ripe 
rich  fruit  of  the  black  haw.  Plant  masses  of  them. 
Flower  and  fruit  are  attractive,  and  the  autumn  color- 
ing is  simply  gorgeous. 

Plicahwi  is  from  Japan  or  ^orth  China.  It  is  a 
marvelous  bloomer,  rivaling,  if  possible,  the  old  Sterilis. 
I  have  seen  these  bushes  with  great  massive  mounds  of 
snowy  bloom  in  the  East;  but  I  have  never  succeeded 
with  them  in  the  West  unless  they  had  shelter  from  the 
sun.  How  far  north  they  have  been  tested  I  cannot 
say.  Many  things  will  thrive  in  northern  Minnesota 
which  cannot  endure  the  heat  of  ^N'ebraska  and  Kansas. 

The  Tomentosum  is  a  beautiful  sins^le  form  of  the 


IN  THE  FRONT  YARD.  77 

Plicatum.  *I  was  in  Boston  when  a  bunch  of  these 
was  brought  into  Horticultural  Hall.  It  created  quite 
a  furor.  The  branch  w^as  one  mass  of  bloom  of  pure 
delicate  white.  '^What  is  it?"  "What  can  it  be?" 
were  the  queries  which  surrounded  it.  N^o  one  knew. 
Just  then  Jackson  Dawson,  superintendent  of  Arnold 
Arboretum,  came  in.  He  knows  everything.  Few 
plants  of  the  temperate  zone  ever  escape  him.  He  told 
them  what  it  was.  T.  C.  Thurlow  is  a  prominent  florist 
and  keen  as  a  briar.  He  went  home  and  examined 
his  foreig-n  catalogues  and  found  a  lot  listed  over  in 
France.  He  sent  and  bought  the  whole  lot.  He  sold 
quite  a  quantity  to  some  florists  who  cut  a  large  amount 
of  them  green  to  propagate  in  a  gTeen  house.  I  remem- 
ber I  was  there  and  helped  cut  great  basket  loads  for 
the  purpose  of  propagation.  This  was  some  years  ago. 
They  are  now  very  well  distributed. 

I  have  not  yet  tested  them,  but  will  try  to  do  so. 
I  am  sure,  however,  that  like  the  Plicatum,  they  will 
need  some  shelter  from  the  sun. 

Both  these  last,  like  the  Sterilis,  are  produced  by 
layering. 

OTHER  SHRUBS  OF  VALUE. 

The  Eiionymus.  This  is  also  called  burning  bush 
and  spindle  tree.  The  American  species  is  the  Wahoo. 
There  is  a  town  of  this  name  in  ISTebraska,  so  called,  I 
believe,  on  account  of  the  fine  clumps  of  burning 
bush  near  it.  In  the  eastern  part  of  Nebraska  you 
often  see  them  gi'owing  wild  along  the  streams.     There 


78  THE    GOLD    MINE 

are  some  beautiful  specimens  in  my  garden  across  the 
road  from  where  I  write.  The  limbs  are  covered  with 
scarlet  fruit.  They  are  desirable  as  shrubs,  with  their 
flowers  in  the  spring,  their  rich  foliage  in  summer,  and 
their  showy  berries  in  the  autumn.  When  the  leaves 
fall  the  whole  tree  is  simply  ablaze  with  its  profusion 
of  berries,  giving  a  cheerful  cast  to  the  somber  tints 
and  falling  leaves.  It  is  propagated  from  seeds,  which 
lie  in  the  ground  two  years,  and  also  from  root  offsets. 
The  European  variety  is  worthless  in  the  West.  I 
have  had  them  kill  to  the  ground.  There  is  a  creeping 
type  of  the  Euonymous  extremely  beautiful  in  the  East, 
with  its  richly  variegated  leaves,  which,  in  favorable 
localities,  will  stay  on  all  winter.  But  it  is  of  no  use 
in  the  West.  T  have  tried  it  carefully  under  screen 
of  lath.     It  is  bound  to  die. 

The  Hydrangea.  There  are  several  species  of  this, 
some  of  which  make  valuable  house  plants.  But  the 
only  one  of  any  merit  for  out  doors  is  the  Paniculata 
Grandiflora. 

There  is  probably  no  plant,  shrub  or  bush  that  yields 
such  a  profusion  of  immense  flowers  as  this  in  propor- 
tion to  the  height  of  the  bush.  The  curious  thing  about 
it  is,  it  is  not  called  hardy  at  the  Kew  gardens  in  the 
mild  climate  of  England,  and  it  cannot  endure  the  in- 
tense heat  and  dry  winters  of  our  western  plains,  and 
yet  in  Minneapolis  and  St.  Paul  it  will  grow  to  a  small 
sized  tree,  and  be  glorious  with  its  great  burden  of 
flowers.  No  yard  is  complete  Avithout  it.  It  seems 
to  do  better  planted  in  masses  than  when  set  out  alone. 


IN   THE  FRONT  YARD.  79 

There  are  many  things  inanimate  which  appear  to  be 
of  a  social  nature,  and  they  love  company  of  their  o^vn 
kind.  So  now  these  are  set  out  mostly  in  clumps  of 
from  six  to  twelve,  and  you  have  a  perfect  bank  of 
flowers.  If  the  ground  is  good,  and  they  have  the  best 
of  care,  the  flowers  will  sometimes  be  as  large  as  a 
man's  head.  They  are  white  at  first,  and,  as  they  get 
age,  they  put  on  a  slightly  reddish  tint.  They  seem 
to  know  how  to  continue  in  bloom  a  long  time,  and  then 
die  gracefully. 

They  are  usually  propagated  in  the  hot-house  from 
green  cuttings.  They  can  be  increased,  however,  by 
layers. 

You  can  take  quite  a  branching  bush  and  plant  it 
deep  so  the  branches  will  be  under  ground,  and  they 
will  all  take  root,  when  they  can  be  cut  off  and  planted 
by  themselves.  They  are  generally  propagated  on  a 
large  scale  in  France  and  sent  from  there  in  immense 
lots  when  they  are  small.  I  have  often  used  these  im- 
ported ones.  There  will  be  some  loss,  and  it  takes  time. 
It  is  better  to  get  good  strong  bushes  from  your  nursery- 
man. 

The  Sambucus  or  Elder.  If  we  had  to  import  our 
Elder  from  Europe,  and  pay  a  high  price  for  it,  with 
its  great,  massive  blooms  in  spring  time  and  flat  masses 
of  dark  berries  in  the  fall,  almost  as  large  as  dinner 
plates,  we  would  think  a  good  deal  of  it;  but  as  it  is, 
it  is  generally  neglected.  If,  however,  you  have  room 
enough  and  wish  a  large  wild  garden,  then  you  will 
have   a   place   for   it.     There   are  twelve   varieties   of 


80  THE    GOLD    MINE 

Sanibuciis  in  cultwation.  Some,  like  Pyramidalis,  are 
too  tender ;  also  the  fern  leafed.  The  weeping  form  is 
also  tender.  The  cut  leafed  seems  hardy,  and  a  rank 
grower.  Very  attractive  with  its  peculiar  leaves.  One 
type,  with  red  berries,  grows  in  the  Kockies.  The 
Golden  Elder  is  hardy  and  desirable.  The  variegated 
leafed  is  very  striking.  It  does  fairly  well  in  Ne- 
braska. I  do  not  know  how  far  north  it  can  be  moved. 
Plumosa  is  a  cut  leafed,  weeping  variety;  and  then 
there  is  the  golden  cut  leafed. 

The  whole  family  are  as  easily  propagated  as  wil- 
lows, gTowing  readily  from  cuttings.  This  is  not  gen- 
erally known. 

Some  use  the  golden  for  hedges.  It  makes  a  good 
windbreak,  but,  of  course,  is  not  strong  enough  for  a 
fence.  This  and  the  cut  leafed  are  rapid  growers,  and 
would  make  quite  a  hedge  in  a  short  time. 


CHAPTER    X. 

THE   SYRINGA,   OR  PHILADELPHUS. 

Philadelphus  was  an  Egyptian  king  in  the  long  ago, 
and  in  some  way  his  name  is  fastened  on  these  shrubs. 
Whether  he  wore  the  flowers  on  his  hat  or  in  his  button- 
hole, or  decorated  his  house  with  them  we  cannot  tell, 
but  it  has  stuck  to  them  ever  since,  and  will  probably  to 
the  end  of  time.  They  are  sometimes  called  Moch 
Orange,  because  the  flowers  have  the  perfume  of  orange 
blossoms. 

They  are  an  exceedingly  vigorous  and  hardy  race, 
and  as  they  are  very  reasonable  in  price,  no  farm  or 
house  lot  should  be  without  them. 

The  little  old  sweet  scented  syringa  is  most  generally 
known.  The  flowers  are  small  and  bear  no  comparison 
with  those  of  more  recent  introduction. 

There  are  several  distinct  families  of  these  shrubs, 
and  as  they  grow  readily  from  seed  they  have  a  ten- 
dency to  hybridize,  and  so  new  varieties  are  coming  to 
the  front.  They  have  fine  foliage,  and  often  grow  to 
the  height  of  t^^'elve  or  fifteen  feet,  and  when  they  are 
covered  with  their  snowy  bloom  they  are  very  attractive. 
Some  have  an  early  and  some  a  later  time  of  flowering, 
and  so  there  is  quite  a  succession  of  bloom.  Some  of 
these  shrubs  are  natives  of  Central  Europe;  some  are 


82  THE   GOLD    MINE 

from  Japan;  some  come  from  the  Himalayan  moun- 
tainSj  from  whence  we  derive  so  many  choice  shrubs 
and  flowers;  some  are  found  growing  in  the  Virginia 
mountains ;  and  in  the  Rockies  Ave  have  the  Rubus  Deli- 
ciosus,  which  is  closely  allied.  Its  form  is  like  the 
syringa,  though  it  bears  berries.  In  the  spring  it  is 
like  a  snowbank  of  beautiful  white  roses.  It  is  ex- 
tremely hardy ;  but  its  place  is  by  a  pond  or  stream  of 
water,  or  if  on  high  ground  it  must  be  well  watered. 
It  is  not  a  success  unless  it  can  have  wet  feet.  We  give 
a  list  of  some  of  the  varieties: 

The  Coronaris  or  Garland.  This  is  a  pure  white 
flower  of  peculiar  form — four  full  blossoms  and  on  the 
top  of  them  another,  making  a  minature  crown — hence 
the  name.  Give  it  good  cultivation  and  it  has  glorious 
sweet  scented  blossoms. 

Floi'e  Pleno  is  a  variety  partly  double,  and  very  fra- 
grant. 

Nanus  is  of  a  dwarf  habit ;  a  low,  compact  bush  and 
very  shy  bearer — used  mostly  as  a  border  plant. 

Zyheri.  I  secured  some  of  these  last  spring  and  am 
watching  them  closely.  They  seem  quite  vigorous,  and 
well  adapted  to  our  climate,  and  the  entire  family  stood 
the  terrible  heat  of  summer  without  flinching.  This 
has  a  large  odorless  flower,  and  is  very  late — making  it 
very  valuable  in  lengthening  the  procession. 

Golden  Leafed  Syringa.  This  is  a  beautiful  plant, 
somewhat  dwarfish  in  habit.  It  retains  its  golden  color 
all  through  the  season.  Last  summer  the  leaves 
scorched  a  little  in  the  burning  sun.     It  is  well  to  keep 


IN   THE  FRONT  YARD.  83 


a  treasure  like  this  a  little  in  the  shade,  when  it  will 
be  all  you  can  ask.  Aside  from  the  golden  color  it  has 
lovely  white  flowers.  These  should  be  planted  where 
they  can  show  marked  contrast  with  the  green  of  others, 
or  where  they  can  stand  by  some  purple  leafed  shrubs. 
We  must  learn  to  plant  for  color  effect. 

The  Gordoiiianus  is  a  yery  prince  of  the  family,  a 
vigorous  grower,  slightly  fragrant  and  blooms  late. 

Speciosissimus  is  of  dwarf  habit,  forming  a  bush 
about  three  feet  tall,  Avhich  is  covered  with  large  white, 
sweet  scented  flowers. 

Laxus  has  an  upright  habit  of  growth.  This  also 
has  good  sized  flowers,  richly  perfumed,  and  it  is  a 
very  valuable  sort. 

Avalanche.  This  was  sent  out  a  few  years  ago  as  a 
new  variety.  A  dwarf  loaded  and  smothered  with 
flowers.  I  sent  50  cents  for  one  and  got  a  dwarf  sure. 
It  was  so  much  of  a  dwarf  it  could  hardly  be  discov- 
ered with  the  naked  eye.  But  I  planted  the  little  thing, 
and  it  has  done  well,  and  though  it  has  not  flowered  yet, 
I  have  great  hopes  of  it. 

Lemoine's  Dwarf  was  a  companion  of  the  Avalanch, 
and  much  like  it  in  form  and  in  the  promise  of  flowers. 
That  was  very  small,  but  the  best  of  care  has  brought 
it  out  and  it  is  a  plant  of  promise. 

Lemoincs  Ereda  Syringa  is  a  charming  variety  of 
upright  growth.  It  has  small  fragrant  flowers  of  yel- 
lowish white,  completely  covering  the  bush. 

Microphyllus  h'as  very  small  leaves,  which  show  well 


84  THE    GOLD    MINE 

in  contrast  with  the  larger  ones  of  other  kinds.  This 
is  a  dainty  little  thing  v/ith  tiny  white  hlossoras. 

Nivalis  has  scentless  flowers,  the  stamens  of  which 
are  cream  colored,  and  this  gives  the  entire  blossom  an 
almost  snowy  white   appearance. 

Penhinensis  is,  of  course,  a  Chinaman.  It  has 
creamy  white  bloom  which  is  very  fragrant. 

Primulaeflorus  is  remarkable  in  that  the  flowers  are 
well  nigh  double  and  are  delicate  white. 

Hoary  Leafed  Syringa  has  large  downy  foliage  as 
well  as  large  white  blossoms,  which  are  late,  thus  length- 
ening the  season. 

Willow  Leafed  Syringa  is  very  unique  in  that  it  has 
borrowed  the  leaves  of  the  Avillow  for  its  clothing.  The 
leaves  are  curled  at  the  edges.     It  is  of  a  dwarf  habit. 

Speciosus  is  of  distinct  and  well  marked  habit  with 
late  flowers. 

Yohohama  is  from  Japan.  It  is  of  upright  and  com- 
pact form,  with  a  sort  of  plaited  foliage.  Flowers  very 
odorous,  making  a  very  desirable  plant. 

We  notice  that  quite  recently  there  have  appeared 
important  additions  to  this  family.  I  have  just  re- 
ceived a  catalogue  from  a  large  nursery  in  France  and 
have  sent  in  an  order  for  the  following  to  test  them  in 
Nebraska : 

Ketelors  Syringa,  which  is  double  flowering.  Flow- 
ers by  nature  are  single.  Dbuble  flowers  are  the  work 
of  nature  and  art.  The  tendency  of  improved  flowers 
is  to  grow  double  and  larger. 

Glorious  as  syringas  are,  we  believe  there  is  a  splen- 


IN  THE   FRONT  YARD.  85 

did  future  for  them,  and  Avlien  bees  are  plenty  to  mix 
the  pollen,  and  you  have  the  full  group  by  planting 
the  seeds,  you  stand  a  good  show  for  something  new 
and  fine. 

We  notice  next  Sutzman's  Syringa,  then  Silver  Bell, 
which  comes  out  with  great  promise ;  also  Candalabre, 
noted  as  being  a  very  free  bloomer.  Then  there  is  the 
Mantle  of  Ermine  and  Mount  Blanc. 

G-randiflorus  has  a  very  large  pure  white  flower, 
somewhat  fragrant.      It  is  a  very  vigorous  grower. 

Years  ago  I  was  on  the  grounds  of  T.  C.  Thurlow, 
of  West  E"ewbury,  Mass.,  and  there  I  saw  a  new  kind 
with  immense  blossoms.  They  had  been  imported  from 
France.  I  got  him  to  send  me  some  cuttings  the  next 
winter.  But  two  of  them  lived.  They  prove  to  be  the 
strongest  growers  of  all.  I  saw  one  sprout  had  made 
ten  feet  in  a  single  year.  The  flowers  were  two  inches 
across,  and  they  hung  in  chains  from  the  branches.  I 
never  saw  anything  like  it.  They  were  not  the  Grand i- 
fiorus.  They  were  much  larger.  I  named  them 
French  Mammoth.  They  will  do  in  ^N'ebraska,  though 
the  tops  killed  back  some.  I  may  send  some  to  Pro- 
fessor Green  and  have  him  test  them. 

In  the  Arnold  Arboretum  I  saw  one,  the  blossoms  of 
which  were  very  large,  and,  in  giving  the  origin,  Mr. 
Dawson  told  me  he  had  raised  it  from  seed.  It  bore 
striking  resemblance  to  the  French  one,  only  the  bush 
was  not  quite  so  vigorous. 

Lemoine  of  France  has  been  a  very  successful  horti- 
culturist alonsf  manv  lines.      He  is  almost  as  much  of  a 


85  THE   GOLD    MINE 

wizard  as  our  own  Burbank.  He  originated  Ava- 
lanche Lemoine  and  Lemoine  Erecta,  all  of  dwarf  habit, 
and  now  I  have  just  secured  for  testing  newer  kinds. 

Boule  df  Argent,  with  flowers  quite  double,  with  deli- 
cate fragrance. 

Candelahre  is  a  dwarf  plant,  very  prolific  bloomer, 
with  large  white  flowers. 

Coulteri  is  another  new  kind — short,  erect  habit,  flow- 
ers large,  solitary  at  the  ends  of  the  branches,  pure 
white,  and  of  great  substance'. 

Fantaisie  is  described  as  an  altogether  distinct  variety 
— a  very  prolific  bloomer,  flowers  pure  white,  pale  rose 
in  the  center,  and  delightfully  fragrant. 

Fimbriatus  is  a  very  unique  variety,  "branches 
arched,  covered  with  large  white  flowers  deeply  toothed." 

Gerhe  de  Neigo  has  flowers  very  large,  and  so  many 
of  them  the  branches  bend  beneath  their  weight. 

Manteare  d'Hermine  has  flowers  double  and  semi- 
double,  creamy  white,  spread  up  and  down  the  branches. 

Perle  Blanch  forms  a  dense  shrub  with  large  double 
pure  white  flowers. 

So  we  see  the  evolution  under  human  skill  of  the 
single  transformed  to  the  double,  and  in  time  these  will 
grow  fuller  and  larger. 

From  this  review  what  a  splendid  family  we  have 
to  chose  from,  and  what  an  addition  to  parks  and  home 
grounds. 


Spirea  Arguta. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

SPIRAEAS. 

Just  as  I  am  writing  this  chapter,  Bulletin  47,  on 
trees  and  shrubs  tested  in  northwest  Canada,  comes  to 
me  from  the  director.  Dr.  Saunders.  I  am  very  glad 
to  welcome  it,  for  we  want  the  benefit  of  their  patient 
research,  and  things  that  will  thrive  in  those  cold  re- 
gions will  do  further  south. 

Their  experience  corresponds  with  that  of  the  York 
Experiment  Station  in  that  we  cannot  raise  any  of  the 
Deutzias. 

We  have  been  at  great  expense  in  testing  these,  and 
have  to  throw  tliem  out  altogether.  The  result  is  the 
same  with  the  Beeches.  In  no  case  have  they  passed 
the  w^inter  in  either  station. 

With  the  Spiricas  it  is  different.  There  are  about 
fifty  varieties  of  this  family.  There  is  a  wide  range 
both  in  foliage  and  bloom.  Planted  for  a  succession, 
we  have  flowers  nearly  or  quite  all  summer.  They  are 
very  easily  propagated.  Many  grow  from  cuttings,  and 
the  rest  multiply  by  ofF-shoots  very  rapidly.  So  there 
is  no  reason  why  they  should  not  be  had  in  abundance. 

The  first  to  bloom  is  the  Arguta,  said  to  be  a  cross 
between  Thunbergii  and  Multiflora.  This  blooms  with 
the  tulips.     It  is  in  such  haste  to  blossom  that  it  does 


90  THE    GOLD   MINE 

not  wait  for  the  leaves,  but  opens  a  perfect  snowdrift 
of  white.  Having  quite  a  hedge  row  of  them  the 
passers-by  in  the  spring  would  stop  to  admire  them 
and  ask  what  they  were.  They  are  the  heralds  which 
head  the  procession  of  beauty.  The  leaves  are  fine  and 
delicate,  and  remain  on  the  bushes  till  December,  and 
before  they  fall  they  change  into  garments  so  rich  in 
the  varied  colors  of  autumn  that  a  row  of  them  seems 
to  be  the  last  of  the  flowers. 

'No  collection  should  be  without  them. 

The  lliunhergii  is  very  delicate  in  appearance — the 
leaves  are  small  and  the  tiny  white  blooms  make  it 
^^a  little  daisy''  among  the  group. 

Prunifolia^  or  Bridal  Wreath  blooms  next.  This  is 
sometimes  called  the  button  flower,  for  it  is  shaped  like 
a  small  white  button.  It  has  a  double  blossom  like  a 
tiny  rose.  This  is  a  profuse  bloomer,  but  is  not  quite 
as  hardy  as  some  of  the  rest.  They  bloom  about  the 
first  of  May,  the  flowers  hanging  in  clusters  along  the 
stems  before  the  leaves  appear. 

Van  Houttei.  This  is  deservedly  a  great  favorite. 
It  seems  hardy  everywhere,  and  is  such  a  wholesale 
bloomer  it  is  one  mound  Oif  beauty.  It  propagates 
readily,  both  from  off-shoots  and  cuttings,  and  can 
be  had  for  hedges.  It  is  much  used  by  the  railroad 
gardeners  of  the  East  to  cover  embankments  and  hide 
rocks,  and  when  in  full  bloom  it  is  like  riding  beside 
snowbanks  of  fragrant  beauty. 

Callosa  has  great  masses  of  pink  flowers  growing  in 
large  flat  heads,  in  shape  much  like  the  blooms  of  our 


IN   THE  FRONT   YARD.  91 

native  elder.  The  blossoms  appear  early  in  June  and 
continue  several  weeks. 

Callosa  Alba  lias  white  flowers  much  the  shape  of  the 
latter,  but  not  quite  so  large.  It  blooms  later,  and 
retains  its  beauty  a  long  time.  This  is  a  very  desirable 
plant. 

Superha  belongs  to  this  same  Callosa  family.  It  is 
dwarfish  in  growth,  with  pinkish  white  flowers  that 
appear  in  June. 

Bumalda  is  a  vigorous  little  dwarf  from  Japan.  It 
often  kills  to  the  ground,  but  does  not  stop  for  a  trifle 
like  that,  but  is  up  and  at  it  again,  and  in  June  is 
clothed  with  a  profusion  of  pink  flowers  in  flat  clusters, 
and  then  it  keeps  at  it  all  summer.  It  never  grows  very 
tall,  and  is  useful  for  the  border  and  placing  in  front  of 
the  taller  ones. 

ANTHONY   WATERER. 

There  is  probably  a  greater  demand  for  this  than 
any  other,  unless  it  is  the  Van  Houttei.  It  is  a  seed- 
ling of  the  Bumalda,  and  is  much  like  it  in  form  and 
habit  and  shape  of  the  flowers.  While  the  former  are 
pale  pink,  these  are  crimson  in  the  bud  and  continue 
so  some  time  after  opening.  Then  they  turn  to  red  or 
deep  pink.  If  the  floAvers  are  removed  they  will  con- 
tinue to  bloom  nearly  all  summer.  These,  like  the 
parent,  often  kill  down  in  Avinter,  but  throw  up  new 
shoots  and  are  ready  for  business  in  June  and  on  till 
frosts. 


92  THE   GOLD    MINE 

Rotundifolia  has  round  leaves  of  dark  green  color, 
Avith  a  graceful  habit  of  growth  and  cluster  of  white 
flowers  in  June. 

OpulifoUa  is  indeed  opulent  in  its  foliage.  This  is 
the  giant  among  the  spiraeas,  and  seems  hardy  every- 
where. I  saw  it  growing  all  right  in  Manitoba.  This 
is  called  the  tree  spiraea.  It  is  an  easy  matter  to  train 
it  into  tree  form,  when  it  presents  a  fine  appearance. 
At  this  station  we  have  had  them  grow  six  feet  the  first 
year  from  cuttings.  The  flowers  are  white  at  first,  and 
are  in  the  form  of  hemispheres.  Put  two  together  and 
you  have  a  ball  about  one  and  a  half  inches  in  diameter. 
Eventually  the  blossoms  turn  to  gold.  They  hang  on  a 
long  time,  seeding  heavily.     These  seeds  grow  readily. 

Aurea  is  a  variety  of  the  Opulifolia.  It  is  not 
q^uite  so  rank  a  grower.  Its  golden  leaves  contrast 
richly  with  the  neighboring  green.  The  flowers  are 
of  the  same  color  and  form  as  those  of  the  parent. 

Sorhifolia,  or  ash  leafed,  is  a  unique  and  cliarming 
shrub  about  six  feet  tall.  The  foliage  is  very  fine,  and 
the  bush  is  surmounted  by  massive  spikes  of  flowers  of 
grayish  Avhite. 

Reevesii.  This  grows  to  be  four  feet  tall,  and  has 
beautiful  clusters  of  Avliite  floAvers  the  last  of  May. 

Double  Reevesii.  While  the  last-named  are  single, 
these  have  double  Avhite  floAvers,  Avhich  appear  a  little 
later.  Both  varieties  are  compact  in  their  habit,  and 
have  slender  branches. 

Billardii  has  spikes  of  rosy  pink  flowers  and  Doug- 
lassi  is  much  of  the  same  form. 


IN  THE  FRONT  YARD.  93 

The  Duniosa  grows  in  the  Rockies.  It  has  massive 
spikes  of  grayish  white  flowers. 

A    MOUXD    OF    SPIKAEAS. 

Where  you  have  room  you  can  phmt  with  fine  effect 
in  the  following  manner :  Put  Opulifolia  in  the  cen- 
ter. The  next  in  vigor  of  growth  would  Be  the  Aurea. 
Then  Van  Houttei.  ^ext  Bridal  Wreath.  Then  a  circle 
of  Arguta.  I^ext  a  rim  of  Thunbergi.  Then  Bumulda 
or  Anthony  Waterer.  If  you  have  room  you  can  put 
in  other  sorts.  Then  you  have  a  beautiful  mound  with 
a  rich  variety  of  foliage  and  also  a  succession  of  flowers 
from  early  spring  till  fall. 

Herbaceous  Spircecus.  These  have  strong  roots,  but 
the  tops  are  annual,  and  kill  down  like  those  of  the 
paeony.  I  think  you  can  count  on  their  being  hardy 
everywhere.  If  there  is  any  doubt  about  it,  mulch  well 
in  winter. 

Lohaia,  sometimes  called  Queen  of  the  Prairies^  is  a 
stately  plant.  It  grows  in  the  meadows  of  Pennsylva- 
nia. The  flowers,  which  are  of  peach  color,  are  very 
fine.      It  is  much  improved  by  cultivation. 

The  Astilhe  is  from  Japan.  A  fine  plant,  with  pure 
white  flowers,  in  large  branching  panicles.  We  have 
tested  this,  and  it  is  all  right. 

The  Aruncus  or  Goafs  Beard,  is  a  fine  species,  grow- 
ing wild  in  the  Catskill  and  Allegheny  mountains. 

Palmafa  is  a  fine  variety,  and  then  there  is  the  Ul- 
maria,  a  double  sort.  The  Humholdtii  has  greenish 
blossoms. 


94  THE   GOLD    MINE 

Other  Plants,  The  Hibiscus  kills  down  in  winter, 
but  comes  up  in  the  spring.  It  has  broad  leaves  and 
large,  white  flowers,  with  crimson  ejes.  This  race  is 
distinct  from  the  other  Hibiscus  family,  which  is  called 
the  Althea.  The  kind  we  are  describing  has  strong 
roots,  which  push  up  their  sprouts  with  gi-eat  vigor  in 
the  spring.      They  bear  immense  masses  of  blossoms. 

The  Polygonum  is  somewhat  of  this  habit,  making 
a  vigorous  growth  in  summer,  giving  quite  a  profusion 
of  bloom,  and  killing  down  in  winter.  There  are  two 
varieties  on  the  Minnesota  experiment  grounds. 

The  common  name  is  the  Mountain  Fleece.  One 
species  was  introduced  from  the  Himalaya  mountains, 
Avhence  we  derive  so  many  of  our  choice  shrubs. 

Incidentally,  I  would  say  that  neither  the  Altheas  nor 
Wegelias  are  hardy  in  the  great  E'orthwest. 

THE  ROSE. 

Personally  I  do  not  pay  so  much  attention  to  this 
flower  as  to  the  paeony,  which  is  rapidly  taking  its 
place,  being  much  hardier,  much  more  easily  cultivated, 
and  as  satisfactory  every  way.  Yet  there  are  thousands 
of  people  who  will  prefer  the  rose  to  every  other  flower. 

1^0  other  flower  has  had  such  a  history.  It  reaches 
back  into  the  far-off  ages,  and  you  find  it  in  writings 
both  sacred  and  profane. 

The  Romans  made  much  use  of  it  in  their  social 
gatherings.  Roses  were  placed  over  the  principal  en- 
trance, and  he  who  passed  under  them  silently  bound 
himself  not  to  reveal  anything  that  was  said  or  done 


IN   THE  FRONT  YARD.  95 

at  the  feast.  Of  course,  if  wine  flowed  freely,  there 
might  be  scenes  and  sayings  which  wonld  not  look  well 
if  given  publicity,  and  he  that  passed  under  the  rose 
must  not  gossip.  The  ''Sub  Kosa"  now  used  means 
"keep  mum." 

There  are  about  100  native  species.  You  find  them 
in  Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa.  Even  in  Iceland  and 
Greenland,  and  other  parts  of  the  far  north,  they  are 
foimd.  In  our  own  land  we  have  many  members  of 
this  great  family, — the  Avild  ones  always  of  the  single 
type. 

The  Ccntifolia  (hundred  leaves)  or  Cabbage  Rose 
is  one  of  the  oldest  members  of  the  family.  It  is  a 
native  of  eastern  Caucasus,  and  is  supposed  to  be  the 
one  mentioned  by  Pliny,  the  old  Koman  historian.  A 
very  numerous  family  have  been  produced  between  this 
and  the  Gallicia,  or  Provence  roses.  These  are  all 
beautiful  and  fragrant,  and  the  flowers  have  a  compact 
and  cabbage-like  form. 

The  Moss  Rose  is  supposed  to  be  a  sport  of  the  Prov- 
ence rose,  for  seedlings  of  this  variety  will  often  be 
found  of  that  type. 

The  Damascus  Rose  is  an  old  favorite,  having  been 
introduced  from  Syria.  It  is  now  extensively  culti- 
vated in  the  gardens  about  the  ancient  city  of  Da- 
mascus for  the  purpose  of  making  rose  water  and  the 
Attar  of  Koses. 

The  8weet  Briar  is  a  native  of  England.  This  has 
a  delightful  fragrance  of  foliage  as  well  as  of  the  flow- 


96  THE    GOLD    MINE 

ers.     It  has  been  crossed  with  other  varieties  so  that 
we  have  now  many  of  a  double  form. 

The  Banhsinia  Rose  was  introduced  from  China  in 
the  early  part  of  the  last  century,  and  Avas  named 
in  honor  of  Lady  Banks. 

THE   JAPAIS^ESE  ROSES. 

We  have  three  of  the  single  type  that  are  marvels  of 
beauty. 

ROSA  RUG  OS  A. 

Probably  no  recent  introduction  has  had  a  larger  run 
than  this.  There  are  two  varieties,  the  white  and  red. 
Though  the  flowers  are  single,  yet  they  are  very  large 
and  clear  in  color,  and  they  are  perpetual  bloomers. 
If  you  have  a  row  of  them  you  will  always,  from  spring 
till  the  frosts  of  autumn,  find  flowers  on  them. 

If  the  bush  had  no  blooms,  it  would  pay  to  plant 
it  for  ornament  alone.  The  leaves  are  glistening  pol- 
ished green,  large,  deeply  wrinkled  and  corrugated. 
The  bush  is  strong,  vigorous  and  hardy,  thriving  as 
far  north  as  Manitoba.  There  is  a  gTcat  demand  for 
this  flower.  Planted  singly,  in  masses,  or  hedges,  it 
is  very  satisfactory.  One  peculiarity  is  its  enormous 
bright  red  seedballs, — like  red  crab  apples, — which 
hang  on  a  long  time,  making  a  fine  display  even  after 
the  leaves  have  fallen. 

Ruhifolia  has  reddish  leaves.  It  is  a  strong  grower 
and  a  prolific  bloomer,  the  foliage  contrasting  beauti- 
fully with  the  neighboring  green. 


IN   THE  FRONT   YARD.  97 

MuUiflora  is  a  marvel  in  blooming  time.  The  bnsh 
is  literally  covered  with  a  flood  of  light  pink  flowers. 
I  have  been  watching  these  three  varieties  in  our  ex- 
periment station  in  York  and  find  them  every  way  sat- 
isfactory. All  of  them  are  hardy,  vigorous  and  pro- 
lific bloomers. 

They  are  easily  raised  from  seed.  Get  a  few  plants, 
take  the  seedballs  and  rub  off  the  pulp,  put  them  in 
sand  and  let  them  freeze,  or  plant  in  the  fall.  Those 
in  sand  you  plant  first  thing  in  the  spring.  They  come 
up  readily,  and  you  will  soon  have  enough  for  masses 
or  hedges.  They  are  so  easily  raised  no  one  should 
be  without  them. 

CLIMBING  EOSES.      ■ 

These  are  a  numerous  famih\  We  have  Queen  of 
the  Prairies,  Seven  Sisters,  Baltimore  Belle,  Tennessee 
Belle,  and  many  others.  But  far  transcending  all 
others,  and  worth  more  tlian  all  put  together,  is  the 
Crimson  Ramhler. 

Some  winters  I  have  had  twenty  other  kinds  of  roses 
killed  to  the  ground,  and  this  would  be  unharmed.  I 
presume  that  in  our  extreme  north  it  would  be  well 
to  take  them  down  and  cover  in  the  fall.  As  a  bloomer 
there  is  nothing  like  it,  unless  it  be  the  multiflora. 

Every  stem  and  twig  seems  ambitious  to  do  all  it 
can.  It  is  no  uncommon  thing  to  find  thousands  of 
flowers  on  a  single  bush.  Though  they  have  no  fra- 
gTance,  they  make  it  up  in  the  wild,  rollicking  prodi- 
gality of  bloom.     Other  kinds  have  borrowed  the  name 


98  THE    GOLD    MINE 

of  this  rose  to  float  into  popular  favor.  The  White 
Rambler  and  the  Golden  Rambler  have  been  sold  by 
the  thousand.  With  us  they  are  utterly  worthless, 
killing  to  the  ground  in  winter,  and  if  with  care  you 
nurse  them  over  till  spring  they  are  very  shy  bloom- 
ers, and  they  have  been  consigned  to  the  brush  pile  in 
disgust  as  frauds. 

The  summer  roses  bloom  in  June  and  July.  The  best 
of  all  is  Harrison's  yellow,  which  originated  years  ago 
in  Maryland.  It  is  extremely  hardy,  an  early  and  pro- 
lific bloomer,  and  I  have  never  known  it  to  be  injured 
by  any  degree  of  heat  or  cold.  It  would  probably  be 
hardy  anywhere.  The  moss  roses  are  very  popular. 
They  are  not  quite  as  hardy. 

Then  we  have  Madam  Plantier,  which  is  white,  and 
a  very  prolific  bloomer.  In  fact,  there  is  quite  a  fam- 
ily of  these  June  roses,  which  are  hardier  as  a  general 
thing  than  the  perpetuals. 

THE    HYBRID    OR    PERPETUALS. 

These  have  been  extensively  planted  in  the  West,  and 
people  have  been  sorely  disappointed  with  them,  and 
why  ?  In  the  East  and  in  England  they  have  a  milder 
climate.  When  the  hot  winds  are  raging,  scorching 
everything  they  touch,  roses  cannot  bloom.  I  have 
seen  at  Rochester,  N^.  Y.,  in  AugTist,  great  fields  of 
roses  in  full  bloom,  where  the  same  kinds  planted  in 
^Nebraska  some  dry  seasons  would  not  show  a  single 
flower.  If,  however,  the  fall  is  moist  there  will  be  a 
good  many  blooms.      I  will  name  a  few  of  the  most 


Harrison's   Yellow   Rose. 


IN   THE  FRONT  YARD.  101 

popular  sorts  of  the  perpetuals,  as  I  have  seen  them 
in  the  Boston  flower  shows,  and  also  in  the  West : 

American  Beauty  is  of  a  large,  globular,  deep  pink 
form.  It  is  especially  adapted  to  the  greenhouse,  and 
there  are  j)robably  more  of  this  kind  raised  under  glass 
than  any  other. 

Baroness  Rotlischild  is  light  pink,  very  symmetrical, 
very  distinct,  with  a  character  of  its  own,  but,  unfortu- 
nately, with  little  or  no  fragrace. 

Genl  Jacqueminot,  abbreviated  to  Gen'l  Jack.  This 
is  one  of  the  standard  sorts,  and  very  popular.  It  is 
brilliant  crimson,  large  and  fine.  It  also  forces  well 
in  the  greenhouse. 

Mahel  Momson.  This  is  white,  with  a  blush  tint, 
which  makes  it  exceedingly  beautiful. 

Margaret  Dickson  is  of  fine  form,  white,  with  pale 
flesh  center,  very  fragrant,  and  fine  every  way. 

Marshall  P.  Wilder  is  another  favorite.  It  is  a 
seedling  from  Gen'l  Jack.  It  is  vigorous  in  growth, 
flowers  large  and  hemispherical  in  form;  color,  cherry 
carmine. 

Paul  Neyron.  This  is  probably  the  best  of  the 
hybrids.  It  is  the  largest  of  all.  The  flowers  are  im- 
mense, and  of  deep  rose  color.  The  wood  is  nearly 
free  from  thorns,  and  it  is  the  hardiest  of  all  the  per- 
petual family. 

Ulrich  Br  Liner  is  brilliant  cherry  red,  flowers  of  fine 
form.     It  is  very  vigorous  and  hardy  for  its  class. 

VicVs  Caprice  is  a  striking  sport.  It  is  large,  pink, 
striped  with  white  and  carmine. 


102  THE    GOLD    MINE 

PEEPAKING  ROSES  FOR  WINTER. 

This  is  an  important  item  in  rose  culture,  for,  if  left 
to  themselves  in  the  bleak  I^orthwest  they  would  soon 
die.      There  are  four  systems  of  winter  protection : 

First.  Put  a  headless  barrel  around  your  bushes  and 
fill  it  with  leaves.  If  too  tall,  cut  back.  Take  your 
climbers  down  and  cover  those  with  leaves  or  straw,  or, 
better  yet,  with  earth;  or  wrap  with  straw  and  burlap. 

Second.  Many  lay  them  down,  putting  on  a  sod  to 
hold  them  in  place,  and  then  cover  with  leaves,  straw, 
sods  or  earth,  to  be  taken  up  in  the  spring. 

Third.  Cut  all  your  hybrids  down  to  the  ground  and 
burn  up  the  brush.  Then  throw  heavy  mulching  or 
earth  over  the  stubs,  and  take  it  off  in  the  spring. 
Gardener  Hadkinson  had  five  acres  of  roses  under  his 
care  at  the  St.  Louis  exposition.  He  pushed  them  the 
first  year,  and  they  made  a  remarkable  growth.  His 
idea  was  to  develop  a  strong  root  system.  In  the  fall 
he  cut  them  all  to  the  ground  without  mercy,  and 
mulched  the  stubs.  In  the  spring  this  was  removed  and 
those  strong  roots  were  ready  for  business,  and  you 
might  have  seen  the  finest  rose  display  on  earth. 

This  system  removes  the  slugs  and  insects  which 
might  be  lurking  in  the  bushes,  and  every  spring  you 
get  a  new  and  clean  start.  Koses  always  form  on  new 
wood,  ynd  not  on  the  old.  If  you  have  the  bushes 
standing  you  will  note  that  they  must  throw  out  new 
branches  before  they  can  bloom. 

Fourth.   This  system  is  my  own,   discovered   in  the 


IN   THE  FRONT   YARD.  103 

following  manner :  Along  in  the  80's  I  was  connected 
with  Franklin  Academy,  in  western  ISTebraska,  lying 
under  the  lOOtli  meridian.  This  was  a  difficult  place 
in  which  to  raise  choice  flowers.  I  had  a  quantity  of 
Madam  Plantier,  wliich  are  white  roses.  They  suf- 
fered much,  and  killed  back  with  the  winter  drouth,  and 
then  by  no  device  could  I  propagate  them.  They  would 
not  root  from  layers.  Again,  they  would  bloom  about 
two  weeks  before  commencement,  to  the  disappoint- 
ment of  the  girls,  who  wanted  white  roses  and  plenty 
of  them  for  that  day.  So  I  put  all  these  things  to- 
gether and  sought  a  solution  of  the  difficulty,  and  found 
it.  In  the  fall  the  bushes  had  made  a  splendid  growth. 
I  must  save  them  from  winter  killing.  I  Avanted  to 
propagate  them,  and  also  retard  their  blooming  for  two 
wrecks.  I  laid,  the  bushes  on  the  ground  like  the  spokes 
of  a  wheel,  and  put  posts  on  them  to  hold  them  in 
place.  The  soil  was  rich  and  mellow.  I  put  on  six 
inches  over  the  whole  and  did  not  allow^  a  single  bud 
or  tAvig  to  show^  itself.  The  earth  was  not  taken  off  in 
the  spring.  There  lay  the  tw^igs  uninjured  by  winter. 
I  watched  that  not  a  branch  or  bud  should  be  exposed. 
They  were  compelled  to  come  up  through  the  'ground, 
and  they  did,  great  masses  of  them.  Of  course  those 
twigs  were  perfectly  healthy  and  the  bloom  was  re- 
tarded two  weeks,  and  the  young  ladies  were  delighted 
Avith  having  all  the  large  fragrant  white  roses  they 
needed  for  commencement.  That  was  not  all,  when 
cold  weather  came  and  the  leaves  fell  I  dug  up  the 
plants  and  found  twenty  well  rooted  bushes  Avhere  I 


104  THE    GOLD    MINE 

had  one  before.     Instinctively  the  twigs  as  they  came 
through  the  earth  put  out  roots. 

This  system  is  the  best  of  all.  Only  it  takes  room, 
and  you  must  have  just  the  right  kind  of  soil.  But 
try  it  as  you  will  ^^eternal  vigilance''  will  be  the  price 
of  roses  in  the  Northwest.  You  cannot  depend  on  fall 
blooming,  and  so  paeonies  are  far  preferable.  Usually 
they  are  longer  in  bloom  if  you  plant  for  a  succession, 
and  they  give  you  no  trouble. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  LONICERA,   OR  HONEYSUCKLE. 

These,  which  comprise  the  upright  and  climbing  vari- 
eties, were  named  from  a  noted  German  botanist,  Loni- 
cer.  They  are  a  very  numerous  family,  with  a  wide 
variety  of  form,  foliage  and  bloom.  In  the  main  they 
are  extremely  hardy  and  will  thrive  most  anywhere,  and 
they  are  quite  a  success  all  over  the  I^orth. 

THE    BUSH    OK    TREE    HONEYSUCKLES. 

There  is  quite  a  family  of  the  Tartarian  group. 

The  golden  herried  makes  a  fine  symmetrical  bush. 
The  flowers  are  fragrant,  and  when  it  is  covered  with 
golden  berries  it  is  quite  attractive. 

Grandiflora  has  very  large  pink  flowers,  which  ap- 
pear in  May.  It  is  vigorous  and  compact  in  growth, 
something  of  the  Lombardy  poplar  shape.  It  is  one  of 
our  best. 

The  7'ed  hcrried  belongs  to  the  same  grouj)  and  has 
been  planted  more  than  any  other. 

The  Ruprechtiana  is  from  Manchuria.  This  is  more 
bush-like  than  the  Tartarians.  It  is  a  bountiful  bloom- 
er, and  is  overwhelmed  with  a  profusion  of  red  berries 
in  July. 

The  Philomelae  has  rosy  pink  flowers  which  appear 


106  THE    GOLD    MINE 

in  pairs  in  each  leaf  axil.  It  blossoms  about  the  last 
of  April. 

Orientalis  was  sent  out  hj  Thos.  Meehan  &  Sons,  of 
Germantown,  Pa.  This  has  pink  flowers,  and  is 
worthy  of  a  place  in  the  collection. 

The  Chinensis  is  much  like  the  above,  being  a  very 
vigorous  and  hardy  shrub. 

The  Marroioii.  This  is  very  popular  in  the  East. 
It  is  of  a  broad  spreading  habit,  and  is  used  largely 
on  railroad  embankments  and  hillsides  to  cover  rocks, 
and  for  this  purpose  is  quite  effective.  It  has  light- 
colored  flowers  and  a  profusion  of  amber  fruit.  It  is 
very  hardy. 

Siberica  has  pinkish  white  flowers,  which  appear  iri 
pairs.      In  form  it  is  much  like  the  Tartarian  group. 

Alherti  has  violet,  bell-shaped  flowers.  It  is  very 
hardy,  and  of  creeping  habit,  and  is  a  sort  of  a  cross  be- 
tween the  bush  and  climbing  families. 

Fragrantissima.  This  is  from  China.  It  retains 
its  leaves  nearly  all  winter,  and  might  be  classed  among 
evergreen  shrubs.  The  flowers  are  very  sweet  scented, 
and  continue  in  bloom  a  long  time.  This  is  the  only 
one  I  have  found  that  was  not  quite  hardy.  In  fact, 
I  have  not  yet  found  an  evergreen  shrub  hardy  in  cen- 
tral or  w^estern  E^ebraska,  on  account  of  the  winter 
drouth,  which  seems  to  burn  the  foliage.  Many  plants 
will  endure  any  degree  of  cold  which  cannot  survive 
the  winters  of  this  section. 

Standishi  much  resembles  the  above,  but  is  rather 
more  dense.      It  has  ripe  red  berries  in  June. 


IN   THE   FRONT  YARD.  107 


PLANTING  A   GROUP. 


For  mound  effect,  where  yon  have  room,  pnt  the 
Tartarian  Grandiflora  in  the  center.  Then  the  red  ber- 
ried. Then  the  golden  berried,  Avhich  is  not  quite  as 
vigorous.  Then  form  circles  of  those  of  more  bushy 
habit,  like  Ruprechtiana  and  Morrowi,  and  you  have 
quite  a  contrast  in  form  and  in  the  shape  of  the  leaves, 
quite  a  succession  of  bloom,  and  a  rich  variety  in  the 
size  and  coloring  of  the  fruit. 

PROPAGATION. 

I  once  visited  the  grounds  of  W.  B.  Whittier,  a 
nurseryman  of  progressive  stamp,  at  South  Framing- 
ham,  Mass.  There  I  saw  a  very  remarkable  honey- 
suckle. It  was  simply  glistening  with  immense  masses 
of  red  berries,  and  seemed  fairly  staggering  under  its 
burden. 

''Mr.  Whittier,  where  did  you  get  that  V 

''1  raised  it  from  seed.'' 

It  was  a  notable  hybrid — a  sort  of  a  combination  of 
the  excellencies  of  them  all  focused  in  that  one  plant 
by  the  enterprising  bees,  which  are  our  most  efficient 
aids  in  generating  new  varieties. 

So  it  turns  out  that  the  Loniceras  have  three  modes 
of  propagation : 

First — From  seeds.  Wash  off  the  pulp  and  plant 
the  seed,  which  will  probably  come  up  the  next  spring. 

Second — By  off-shoot.  In  a  short  time  heavy  stools 
are  formed,  like  currants  or  lilacs.  Dig  them  up  and 
tear  them  apart  and  plant. 


108  THE    GOLD    MINE 

Third — By  cuttings.  Late  in  the  fall  or  very  early  in 
the  spring.  Plant  as  you  would  cottonwood  or  willow 
cuttings.  If  you  wait  till  spring  you  must  be  quick 
about  it,  for  they  are  among  the  first  things  to  start. 

CLIMBING  HOXEYSUCKLES. 

The  Belgica.  This  is  about  as  popular  as  any.  It 
blooms  from  May  till  December.  Always  at  it,  and 
never  tired.  It  has  bright  red  fragrant  flowers.  It  is 
quite  hardy. 

The  TIalleana  is  from  Japan.  It  is  quite  a  thrifty 
vine.  The  leaves  of  bright  green  hang  on  till  Decem- 
ber. Flowers  are  pure  white,  changing  to  a  yellow 
tinge.  They  are  very  fragrant,  scenting  all  the  air. 
Where  you  have  them  in  profusion,  as  when  they  cover 
an  arbor,  in  the  still  twilight  of  a  summer  evening  they 
seem  to  load  all  the  air  with  a  delicate  fragrance. 

The  Chinese  Fragrant.  This  is  a  vigorous  grower, 
having  a  profusion  of  flowers  in  spring  time,  very  use- 
ful ^\\\e\\  you  wish  to  cover  a  trellis  or  shelter  a  porch. 

Canadensis.  This  grows  wild  in  many  of  the  forests 
of  the  interior.  It  is  a  very  robust,  hardy  and  thrifty 
gTower,  with  white  on  the  under  side  of  the  leaves,  and 
large  yellow  flowers. 

Common  Woodbine  is  a  strong  native,  with  showy 
flowers,  red  outside  and  buff  within. 

Japan  Golden  Leafed  is  quite  showy  in  foliage.  It 
does  well  in  the  eastern  states,  and  perhaps  would  do 
Avell  in  the  West  if  it  could  be  sheltered  from  the  hot 


IN  THE  FRONT  YARD.  109 

sun  which,  with  our  dry  air,  is  so  fatal  to  many  things 
with  delicate  foliage. 

Variegated  Euonymous  is  exceedingly  beautiful  in 
the  East.  Its  foliage  is  a  flower  of  itself,  but  it  cannot 
be  made  to  live  in  the  West.  This  is  a  creeper,  and 
would  be  very  desirable  if  we  could  make  it  live.  But 
even  under  a  screen  it  refuses  to  grow. 

OTIIEK    CI.IMBERS. 

In  eastern  catalogues  you  will  find  glowing  descrip- 
tions of  Actinidia  Arguta,  a  strong  growing  Japanese 
vine.  Let  it  alone.  It  is  worthless  in  the  West.  I 
tried  100  under  screen  and  in  the  open.  They  all 
killed  down  to  the  ground  till  in  disgust  I  hunted  out 
and  dug  up  the  last  worthless  root.  Let  your  experi- 
ment stations  and  nurserymen  test  these  things.  You 
cannot  afford  it. 

The  Japanese  Ivy  is  very  popular  East.  In  Boston 
it  creeps  up  the  sides  of  and  covers  buildings  of  stone 
and  brick.  It  succeeds  in  some  favored  locations  in  the 
West,  but  we  cannot  recommend  it  for  general  planting 
for  the  'Northwest. 

Quinquefolia  or  five-leafed  ivy,  often  called  Vir- 
ginia creeper,  grows  wild  almost  everywhere,  and  is 
very  hardy.  You  can  get  it  in  the  woods  or  of  your 
nurseryman.  If  you  want  something  coarse,  vigorous 
and  hardy  to  hide  some  old  buikling,  or  to  climb  a  dead 
tree,  or  cover  an  arbor,  you  can  depend  on  this.  You 
can  grow  it  from  cuttings  or  from  layers. 

Dutchman  s  Pipe  is  a  popular  old  favorite  that  does 


110  THE    GOLD    MINE 

fairly  well  in  most  locations.  It  has  large  leaves  and 
flowers  like  an  old-fashioned  pipe. 

Clematis.  These  are  very  popnlar  climbers,  and  are 
planted  in  immense  quantities. 

Ere  da.  This  is  very  hardy  and  satisfactory.  It  is 
rare,  and  there  are  hardly  enough  for  the  demand.  It 
is  herbaceous,  like  the  paeony,  and  blossoms  about  the 
same  time.  In  fact,  the  two  go  well  together,  and  the 
great  groups  of  snowy  white  flowers  do  nicely  for  the 
backgTound  for  a  boquet  of  these  charming  blooms. 
It  grows  about  three  feet  tall,  and  bears  immense 
masses  of  white  flowers.  It  is  increased  by  root  divi- 
sion and  from  seeds,  which  are  borne  in  gTeat  profusion. 

The  Paniculata.  This  is  a  marvelous  bloomer,  and 
pours  out  its  beauty  in  a  flood  of  white.  I  have  them 
growing  beside  the  hardy  Virginia  creeper.  The  leaves 
of  the  latter  are  killed  by  the  first  hard  frost,  and  then 
is  the  time  for  the  Paniculata  to  get  in  its  work.  When 
most  of  the  other  flowers  are  gone  these  come  on  in 
the  greatest  abundance.  I  have  cut  large  armfuls  for 
church  decorations  and  for  weddings.  They  are  very 
effective  where  you  want  massive  wreaths  or  wish  them 
to  adorn  large  rooms  for  festive  occasions. 

The  Jachmanni  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful,  and  at 
the  same  time  one  of  the  most  aggravating  things  I  have 
ever  known.  Once  in  a  while  thej^  will  live  and  grow 
and  cover  the  side  of  a  building  ^yith  a  profusion  of 
rich  violet-purple  flowers.  But  as  a  general  thing  you 
have  to  plant  about  a  dozen  to  get  one  to  live.  I  have 
had  them  do  well  and  groAv  eight  or  ten  feet  and  be 


Clkmatis  Panic llata. 


IN  THE  FRONT  YARD.  113 

covered  with  bloom,  and  then  they  would  take  the  sulks 
about  something  I  never  could  find  out  and  die.  Yet, 
where  they  do  succeed,  they  are  all  that  you  can  ask  for. 

Graveolens.  This  is  a  vigorous,  hardy  vine.  It  will 
often  spring  up  from  seed  and  groAv  on  its  own  account. 
It  is  a  late  bloomer,  and  has  beautiful  golden  flowers 
and  these  are  followed  by  great  masses  of  feathery  and 
fluffy  clumps  to  which  the  seeds  are  attached.  These 
last  are  about  as  interesting  as  the  flowers  themselves. 

The  Duchess  of  Edinburgh  has  great  masses  of  double 
white  flov/ers. 

Madame  Edward  Andre  has  large  flowers  of  beauti- 
ful bright  velvety  red.  It  is  said  to  be  a  prolific  and 
continuous  bloomer. 

Trwnpet  Floiver  Radicans.  This  is  a  vigorous 
climbing  plant,  generally  hardy.  It  will  kill  back 
sometimes,  however,  but  the  root  is  of  such  vigor  it 
will  push  up  again.  It  bears  trumpet-shaped  red  flow- 
ers in  August. 

Wistarias.  The  American  purple  is  a  very  hardy 
vine ;  in  fact  the  hardiest  of  all.  It  is  not  quite  as  free 
flowering  as  some  of  the  foreign  sorts.  There  is  a  white 
variety  of  this  vine. 

The  whole  family  was  named  from  Wistar,  once  a 
professor  in  the  Pennsylvania  University. 

The  Sinensis  is  from  China.  It  was  introduced  in 
1818.  It  has  long  pendulous  clusters  of  pale  blue  flow- 
ers.    There  is  a  white  variety  of  this  same  species. 

There  are  Japanese  wistarias,  also  very  beautiful, 
but  not  having  tested  them  I  cannot  vouch  for  their 
hardiness. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

PERENNIAL   FLOWERS. 

In  spring  the  great  Northwest  lies  at  the  busy  end 
of  the  world.  The  plowing  and  sowing  must  be  done. 
The  success  of  the  crop  often  depends  on  the  seeding, 
which  must  be  done  early.  The  winters  are  long  and 
when  warm  weather  comes  every  moment  seems  crowd- 
ed, and  so  if  one  is  to  have  a  fine  yard  it  is  a  great  help 
to  have  an  abundance  of  choice  perennials.  These  stay 
planted.  You  do  not  have  to  put  them  out  every 
spring. 

Farmers  are  waking  up  to  the  importance  of  flowers 
for  home  use.  'Not  long  ago  a  man  asked  a  nursery 
agent  what  he  had  that  would  do  for  cut  flowers.  ^Tlie 
young  folks  must  have  them  for  their  parties  and  so- 
cial gatherings  and  they  must  be  ordered  from  the 
city,  and  the  team  must  be  stopped  to  go  to  the  depot 
after  them,  and  they  cost  a  good  deal,''  and  he  did  not 
see  why  they  could  not  raise  their  own  and  have  them 
fresh,  and  when  he  showed  his  bills,  the  agent  said  that 
for  what  he  paid  out  in  one  year  he  could  have  a  pro- 
cession of  beauty  all  his  own  and  an  abundance  for 
all  occasions  from  early  spring  till  frosts  came.  Let 
me  name  this  procession. 


IN  THE  FRONT  YARD.  115 

FIKST^   TULIPS. 

You  plant  these  in  October  about  four  incbes  deep 
in  well  prepared  soil.  When  the  ground  freezes 
put  on  some  well  rotted  manure.  Plant  a  lot  of  them ; 
get  the  double  rose  and  double  white,  and  some  mixed. 
You  ought  to  have  $5  worth  which  would  get  two  or 
three  hundred.  They  fight  their  way  up  through  slush 
and  frosts  and  are  the  glorious  harbingers  of  spring. 
You  can  take  them  up  after  they  bloom  or  let  them 
stay.  Mr.  Terry  of  Iowa  30  years  ago  planted  tulips 
on  a  hill  and  had  not  touched  them  and  they  were 
blooming  last  year.  It  is  perhaps  as  well  to  take  them 
up  and  replant  once  in  a  while. 

I^ext  come  the  columbines,  which  begin  before  the 
tulips  are  through. 

The  pansy  is  the  last  to  bloom  in  the  fall,  and  be- 
gins with  the  tulips  or  before.  They  are  easily  grown. 
In  a  mild  winter  I  have  seen  them  bloom  in  the  open 
ground  in  Massachusetts  in  January. 

Before  the  columbines  are  through  you  have  the  orien- 
tal poppies  and  paeonies.  Then  the  gaillardias  begin, 
and  keep  at  it  all  summer.  In  the  meantime  the  irises 
begin  their  work  along  with  tlie  lilies.  Then  come  the 
glorious  phloxes  and  tlieir  time  of  blooming  can  be 
regulated  from  June  till  October  or  N'ovember  even. 

Running  parallel  with  your  perennials  your  hardy 
flowering  shrubs  are  in  continuous  bloom. 

The  Delphiniums  and  the  foxgloves  come  on  with 
their  magnificent  display. 


116  THE    GOLD    MINE 

There  are  over  100  kinds  of  perennial  asters  and 
only  a  few  of  them  have  been  cultivated.  They  get  in 
their  work  after  the  frosts. 

Many  annuals  come  to  their  blooming  in  the  middle 
of  the  summer  when  it  is  hot  and  dry,  and  they  are 
not  well  enough  rooted  to  stand  the  severity  of  the 
climate.  Again  most  of  the  seeds  of  the  annuals  are 
very  small  and  it  is  difficult  to  make  them  germinate. 
Among  these,  however,  we  must  place  the  modern 
white  asters  which  closely  resemble  large  chrysanthe- 
mums. As  they  come  on  in  August  and  September 
they  are  very  important  factors  in  keeping  up  the  pro- 
cession. 

YUCCAS. 

There  are  many  varieties  of  these  plants,  some  of 
them  not  hardy  in  the  ^North.  I  saw  some  growing  in 
Alabama  that  were  natives  there.  They  were  six  inches 
through  and  eight  to  ten  feet  tall.  They  are  said  to 
be  very  beautiful  in  bloom. 

The  two  kinds  in  ordinary  cultivation  are  the  Rocky 
Mountain  or  Spanish    bayonet    and  the  Filamentosa. 

The  former  is  by  far  the  hardier.  It  grows  not  only 
in  the  mountains  but  comes  down  in  the  plains  as  far 
west  as  the  100th  meridian.  It  seems  to  delight  in 
dry  situations,  but  nevertheless  grows  well  in  rich  soil 
and  responds  to  good  cultivation.  It  has  a  long  stiff 
leaf  which  is  pointed  by  the  sharpest  kind  of  a  needle. 
As  it  grows,  the  root  lifts  itself  out  of  the  ground  like 
a  large  beet.  This  is  the  soap  weed  of  the  Mexicans, 
who  often  use  it  at  the  present  day.     The. roots  also, 


IN  THE   FRONT   YARD.  117 

pounded  up,  are  used  for  a  hair  wash,  which  is  said  to 
be  excellent  to  keep  it  healthy  and  from  falling  out. 
It  has  a  stiff  spike  from  which  pure  white  flowers  hang 
like  lights  about  a  chandelier.  This  species  I  think 
would  be  hardy  anywhere.  Thej^  do  not  seem  to  mind 
any  degree  of  heat  or  cold.  They  would  seed  plentiful- 
ly and  do,  when  they  have  a  chance,  but  the  cattle 
which  roam  over  the  mountains  and  plains,  though 
they  cannot  eat  the  tough  and  leathery  leaves,  are  sure 
to  take  the  flowering  stem  as  soon  as  it  appears. 

In  my  trips  to  the  mountains  I  often  gather  seeds 
which  readily  come  up  and  the  plants  make  rapid  and 
vigorous  growth.  The  leaves  are  compact  masses  of 
tough  fiber  quite  useful  for  ropes  and  cords. 

The  Filamentosa  is  so  named  from  its  filaments  or 
threads.  These  leaves  are  very  tough  and  are  used  for 
cordage  or  tying,  much  as  rafia  is  now  used,  only  it  is 
not  as  long  or  as  pliable. 

There  are  three  forms  of  this — the  common  and 
Filamentosa  Recurva.  The  leaves,  instead  of  growing 
erect,  curve  downward.  There  is  not  much  difference 
between  the  two,  though  nurserymen  often  make  quite 
a  distinction  in  favor  of  the  curved  leafed  ones. 

Bicolor  is  probably  a  sport  of  the  Filamentosa 
Erecta.  It  was  sent  out  and  recommended  as  hardy, 
but  it  is  tender  and  utterly  worthless  outside  of  the 
greenhouse. 

THE  FILAMENTOSA. 

The  Filamentosa  has  an  immense  flower  stalk  with 
branches,  and  in  good  rich  ground  it  will  grow  to  be 


118  THE    GOLD    MINE 

six  or  seven  feet  tall,  and  when  it  is  covered  with  a 
great  mass  of  white  blossoms  like  lilies,  it  is  one  of 
the  most  imposing  flowers  we  have.  Both  have  ever- 
green leaves  which  have  a  fresh  color  all  winter. 

THE   IRIS   OR   FLEUR  DE   LIS. 

This  is  "the  rainbow  deified."  These  are  also  called 
flags.  There  is  a  remarkable  family  here,  varying  from 
the  little  blue  dwarf  beside  the  walk,  that  blooms  with 
the  tulips,  to  the  majestic  and  imposing  Kgempferi 
from  Japan.  These  last  have  flowers  of  immense  size 
and  imposing  beauty.  Unfortunately  I  have  never 
succeeded  in  raising  them  in  JSTebraska.  I  am  now 
testing  some  under  screen.  They  are  growing  finely 
and  I  have  some  hopes  of  them. 

THE   GERMAN   IRIS. 

These  are  hardy  everywhere.  I  saw  them  flourish- 
ing in  Manitoba.  I  think  there  are  over  50  kinds  of 
this  family  alone.  These  should  be  planted  in  full 
clumps.  They  multiply  rapidly  from  the  root  and 
should  be  taken  up  every  few  years  or  they  will  begin 
to  crowd  each  other. 

THE    SPANISH    IRIS. 

The  Spanish  Iris  is  quite  hardy  and  beautiful.  But 
1  think  one  of  the  finest  we  have  of  recent  introduction 
is  the  Siberian.  I  note  that  it  is  hardy  everywhere. 
The  leaves  are  narrow  and  long,  the  flower  stalk  is  tall 
and  slender  and  is  surmounted  by  flowers  of  the  most 


IN   THE  FRONT   YARD.  119 

intense  blue.  I  am  liighlj  pleased  with  it,  and  saw  it 
growing  at  Brandon,  Manitoba,  so  you  can  depend  on 
it  anywhere.  There  is  another  branch  of  the  family 
with  snowy  white  flowers  which  are  exceedingly  beauti- 
ful.    These  I  am  sure  will  give  satisfaction. 

The  Digitalis  or  Foxglove  should  not  be  omitted. 
They  have  long  flower  stems,  blossoms  are  purple  and 
white.     The  grandiflora  has  yellow  blossoms. 

The  Dicentra  or  Bleeding  Heart  is  a  very  hardy 
plant  with  a  profusion  of  heart  shaped  flowers  in  the 
spring.  They  are  beautiful  in  the  morning  when,  in 
full  bloom,  the  sun  shines  on  them. 

The  Exima  is  everblooming,  while  the  first  men- 
tioned bloom  early  and  then  the  foliage  becomes  dingy ; 
the  latter  keeps  fresh,  growing  and  blooming  all  sum- 
mer. It  is  very  hardy  and  as  it  multiplies  from  the 
I'oot  rapidly  one  root  would  soon  give  an  abundance. 
Yon  take  up  both  kinds  either  in  the  spring  or  fall  and 
divide  and  replant  as  you  would  paeonies. 

THE  EUDBECKIA  OR  GOLDEN"  GLOW. 

This  is  a  native  of  Xorth  Carolina,  but  is  hardy  every- 
where. Care  must  be  taken  to  keep  it  in  bounds  or  it 
becomes  a  weed.  The  clumps  should  not  be  allowed 
to  become  too  large  for  then  the  flowers  will  be  small. 
The  tall  stems  need  some  support.  These  should  be 
set  in  the  background  of  the  border.  They  are  too  large 
for  tlie  front. 

The  Campanula  or  Bluebells  should  not  be  forgot- 
ten. 


120  THE    GOLD    MINE 

The  hardy  pompon  chrysanthemums  should  not  be 
left  out.  There  are  now  about  100  kinds  of  these. 
They  are  very  effective  when  you  most  need  them. 
They  are  in  their  full  glory  about  the  time  of  the  first 
frosts  and  continue  to  bloom  like  hardy  asters  some 
time  after,   or  until  the  killing  frosts  come. 

COREOPSIS  LANCEOLATA. 

This  is  very  hardy  and  takes  good  care  of  itself  with 
but  little  attention  after  it  is  once  established.  It  has 
beautiful  double  white  flowers,  small  but  fine. 

COREOPSIS     GRANDIFLORA. 

has  golden  yellow  flowers  on  long  stems. 

THE  SUNFLOWER. 

This  is  an  annual,  but  it  has  been  so  improved  that 
we  would  hardly  know  it.  The  latest  is  an  immense 
head  and  instead  of  a  rim  of  yellow  around  the  outer 
edges  the  face  is  one  grand  full  glorious  flower.  This 
can  be  used  in  the  background  along  with  castor  beans. 


The  Coerelia,  or  Rocky  Mountain  Columbine^  the  State  Flower 
OF  Colorado. 


"     CHAPTEE  XV. 

COLUMBINES. 

It  is  strange  that  such  attractive  and  hardy  flowers, 
so  radiantly  beautiful,  should  receive  so  little  atten- 
tion. They  are  easily  grown,  require  but  little  ef- 
fort, and  repay  all  care  and  labor  needed  a  hundred 
fold.  Light  itself  has  been  dissolved,  and  all  its  pris- 
matic rays  have  been  woven  into  their  bloom.  I  think 
one  trouble  has  been  they  have  not  been  planted  on  a 
scale  large  enough  and  in  generous  masses,  so  that 
their  charms  could  be  seen  to  advantage.  People  per- 
sist in  getting  a  lonely  flower  and  giving  it  the  task  of 
enlivening  dreary  surroundings,  and  the  poor  thing 
cannot  show  to  advantage.  Then  no  single  one,  beau- 
tiful as  it  may  be,  can  represent  them  all. 

Before  my  window  as  I  write  there  is  a  large  bed 
of  them.  Does  one  realize  what  a  great  family  they 
are,  over  fifty  native  species  ?  I  have  at  least  as  many 
sorts.  No  flowers  hybridize  more  readily.  You  se- 
cure a  large  variety,  and  then  sow  seeds  from  these, 
and  you  have  a  marvelous  permutation  of  beauty. 
'No  two  flowers  of  this  second  cropj  Avill  be  entirely 
alike.  The  bumble  bees  especially  delight  in  their 
nectar.  They  seem  almost  intoxicated  as  they  revel  in 
it.     Of  course  they  carry  the  pollen  from  one  flower  to 


124  THE   GOLD    MINE 

another,  and  the  result  is  something  new.  There  is  au 
intense  fascination  in  watching  the  various  changes 
wrought,  and  to  see  the  bewitching  loveliness  of  some 
of  the  new  arrivals.  If  one  could  sort  out  some  of 
these  and  name  and  describe  them,  he  could  give  some 
rare  treasures  to  the  floral  w^orld.  By  this  process  you 
would  have  the  pleasure  of  forming  new  acquaintances 
whom  no  one  else  has  yet  met. 

Let  us  take  a  look  at  some  of  these  before  us.  That 
tall  one,  so  striking  in  appearance,  is  the  Chrysantha, 
the  golden.  Tlie  color  is  yellow,  and  not  only  that, 
there  is  a  good  deal  of  it.  It  is  intense,  as  though  the 
flower  had  secured  all  it  could  and  had  packed  and 
pressed  it  together  in  the  most  lovely  form  imaginable. 
What  long  and  delicate  spurs  it  has !  We  saw  it  grow- 
ing wild  in  the  Yellowstone  [N'ational  Park.  There 
it  was  small  and  comparatively  insignificant;  but 
transported  to  our  rich  prairie  soil,  with  good  cultiva- 
tion, it  gives  grateful  response  to  our  kindly  attention. 
A  flower  does  not  blush  as  well  unseen,  while  it  ^Vastes 
its  fragrance  on  the  desert  air,''  as  when  there  are 
admirers  to  appreciate  its  beauty.  Many  a  flower, 
comparatively  unattractive  in  its  wild  state,  will  bloom 
in  a  i^rodigality  of  loveliness  under  the  influence  of 
cultivation,  and  where  it  can  be  seen  and  enjoyed.  The 
Picea  Punges,  the  king  of  beauty  among  the  conifers, 
nowhere  in  all  the  mountains  does  as  well  as  when  trans- 
planted in  the  rich  soil  of  the  prairie,  or  the  eastern 
states,  and  receives  the  attention  it  deserves.     Then  the 


IN  THE  FRONT  YARD.  125 

needles  are  longer  and  the  slieen  is  far  brighter  and 
more  radiant  than  in  its  own  habitat. 

Here  is  another  of  attractive  appearance,  with  long 
and  delicate  spurs.     The  petals  are  snowy  white  and 
intense  blue.     It  seems  a  photograph  of  the  sapphire 
of  the  sky  and  the  fleecy  clouds.     This  is  the  Coerelia 
of  the  Rockies,  and  the  state  flower  of  Colorado.     We 
often  see  these  in  masses  at  an  altitude  of  eight  or  nine 
thousand  feet.     In  many  places  they  grow  to  great  size, 
as  some  localities  seem  better  adapted  to  their  develop- 
ment than  others.     When  taken  down  to  the  plains  they 
need  some  shelter  from  the  burning  sun  and  hot  winds. 
This  variety  readily  hybridizes  with   others,    and   its 
motherhood  is  seen  in  many  types  in  recent  years.     So 
readily  does  it  cross  that  though  the  original  plants 
will  be  all  right,  yet  the  progeny  varies  so  readily  and 
to  such  an  extent  that  pure  seed  must  be  secured  from 
the  mountains  if  you  would  be  sure.     I  keep  a  remote 
nook  in  the  further  corner  of  the  nursery,  as  far  re- 
moved as  possible  from  the  others,  for  their  exclusive 
use;  and  even  here  there  is  some  danger  that  the  bees 
may  find  them,  and  I  cannot  be  absolutely  sure  of  all 
those  grown  from  them,  so  I  make  it  a  practice  to  secure 
fresh  seed  every  year  or  two. 

There  is  one  of  deepest,  darkest  blue,  so  much  so  it 
is  almost  black.  It  is  a  large,  solid  flower.  It  has  no 
spurs  whatever.  It  is  quilled  like  the  Dahlia.  An- 
other is  salmon  pink  lined  with  white,  a  gorgeous  flower, 
and  the  blooms  hang  like  lamps  in  a  chandelier  aroimd 
the  parent  stem.     Here  is  one  that  is  a  large,  compact. 


126  THE    GOLD    MINE 

snowy  white.  It  is  a  full  and  prodigal  bloomer,  and 
near  it  is  a  single  white,  well  spurred.  In  close  prox- 
imity is  one  of  deep  blue,  a  single  flower,  with  long, 
slender  spurs,  much  like  the  Coerelia,  to  which  it  prob- 
ably owes  its  parentage.  In  the  crossing  it  doubtless 
got  enough  of  the  blue  from  one  of  those  of  deep  azure 
to  eliminate  the  white. 

Yonder  is  a  double  maroon  on  a  strong  stem,  and  its 
color  blends  well  with  the  garments  of  its  neighbors. 
Here  is  a  large,  double  pink  of  curious  form,  shaped 
like  a  tiny  barrel.  One  is  lilac  color  and  semi-double. 
In  short  in  color  there  are  samples  of  almost  all  the 
shades  known  to  us.  There  is  a  tall,  independent 
one,  a  sort  of  a  blend  of  blue  and  maroon,  lilac  and  rose 
color,  showing  that  the  pollen  of  several  different  ones 
had  entered  into  combination  to  form  one  so  fresh  and 
rare. 

Time  would  fail  to  describe  them  all.  The  Golden 
is  less  liable  than  others  to  enter  into  crosses.  One 
reason  is  that  it  is  so  much  later,  and  yet  there  are 
several  that  show  its  influence,  and  many  of  the  golden 
ones  have  been  somewhat  swerved  from  their  distinct 
form.  These  flowers  commence  blooming  with  the  Tu- 
lips, and  continue  to  flower  for  two  months,  while  the 
Chrysantha  will  break  out  now  and  then  all  summer. 
Imagine  if  you  can  a  blend  of  these  charming  colors 
in  a  mass  of  several  hundred,  some  early,  others  late, 
some  single  and  many  double,  many  of  them  tall  and 
others  dwarfs.  In  color  from  purest  white  to  deepest 
purple. 


IN  THE  FRONT  YARD.  127 

There  is  a  Columbine  Society  at  Boston,  hard  at  work 
to  have  these  adopted  as  the  national  flower.  Tliey  are 
Aquilegia,  related  to  our  bird  of  freedom.  They  are 
Columbines,  which  sounds  something  like  our  own 
Columbia.  Then  we  have  quite  a  number  of  native 
varieties.  So  the  society  is  making  a  strong  plea. 
Many  designs  in  decorations  are  taken  from  these 
flowers.  And  as  one  of  the  states  has  adopted  one 
of  the  family  as  its  own  flower,  this  may  be  the  begin- 
ning, and  2>erhaps  ultimately  the  Union  may  follow  one 
of  our  richest  states. 

HOW  TO  GROW  THEM. 

Get  a  quantity  of  mixed  seed  and  sow  early  in  the 
spring.  The  seeds  are  small,  and  of  course  must  be 
planted  shallow.  But  here  is  the  trouble,  especially  in 
-the  west — the  ground  dries  before  the  seed  can  germi- 
nate. Contrive  some  way  to  keep  the  surface  wet  all 
the  while,  day  and  night,  till  they  come  up.  But  you 
would  better  trust  to  experts,  who  make  it  their  business, 
and  buy  the  plants,  which  can  be  had  at  very  reason- 
able rates,  three  to  ten  dollars  a  hundred,  and  thus  save 
a  good  deal  of  care  and  vexation  and  a  year's  growth, 
as  they  will  bloom  some  the  first  season.  Put  in  rows 
eighteen  to  twenty-four  inches  apart,  and  twelve  to 
eighteen  inclies  in  the  row,  and  they  will  soon  stool  out 
and  cover  the  ground.  It  is  best  to  mulch  well  with 
coarse  manure  after  the  ground  freezes,  and  in  the 
spring  rake  it  between  the  rows.  I  do  not  always  take 
this  trouble,  for  they  are  very  hardy.     If  the  season 


128  THE    GOLD    MINE 

is  wet,  some  of  the  seeds,  as  they  fall,  may  grow,  and 
thus  extend  the  area.  The  seeds  have  great  vitality. 
Some  sow  them  in  the  fall.  Columbines  are  used  a 
good  deal  for  cut  flowers,  though  they  are  not  as  good 
keej)ers  as  Paeonies.  They  are  in  season  on  the  nation's 
great  flower  day,  when  we  decorate  the  graves  of  our 
dead.  Some  late  springs  they  are  about  the  only  out- 
door flower  we  can  use,  as  was  the  case  in  1904,  when 
they  were  in  the  full  glory  of  their  bloom  in  great 
mass'es. 

So  plant  Columbines.  There  should  be  a  flower 
procession  from  the  opening  of  the  Tulips  to  the  hard 
frosts  of  autumn,  and  these  should  have  a  prominent 
place.  The  more  .you  have  of  them  the  more  you  will 
admire  them,  and  when  you  get  well  acquainted  with 
them  you  could  not  get  along  without  them. 

DELPHINIUMS. 

In  our  search  for  hardy  perennials  we  have  found 
this  among  the  most  showy  and  beautiful.  If  you 
travel  in  the  Rockies  you  will  meet  these  flowers  in  all 
their  glory.  In  the  rich  valleys  you  often  see  them 
six  or  seven  feet  high,  and  the  tall,  strong  stem  lined 
with  a  covering  of  flowers  of  deepest  blue. 

This  flower,  sometimes  called  the  Larkspur,  has  been 
much  improved.  In  the  Boston  flower  shows  I  have 
seen  gorgeous  sj^ecimens  of  grand,  radiant  flowers  which 
seemed  at  gi-eat  remove  from  our  native  plants.  These 
tall  ones  are  clothed  with  the  splendor  of  sapphire,  and 
so  intense  is  the  color  it  would  seem  as  though  all  the 


IN   THE   FRONT    YARD.  129 

shadings  and  tinting  which  conhl  be  extracted  were 
there  in  a  marvelous  blending.  I  have  some  very  rich 
specimens,  which  draw  the  attention  of  visitors.  They 
are  about  six  feet  tall.  Some  are  like  great  posts  fres- 
coed wdth  bloom ;  others  are  branching,  and  all  are 
grand.  They  follow  hard  after  the  Paeonies,  and 
bridge  the  chasm  between  them  and  the  Phloxes. 

Over  in  England  they  have  made  great  improvements 
in  these  flowers,  l^j  careful  selection  and  hybridizing 
they  have  secured  a  race  far  superior  to  our  native? 
sorts ;  but  thoua'h  these  choice  strains  mav  do  well  in 
the  milder  climate  of  that  country,  they  do  not  winter 
well  with  us.  But  we  have  such  a  rich  variety  there 
is  no  reason  why  we  also  cannot  improve,  and  thus 
secure  hardiness  w^ith  beauty. 

I  give  the  following  as  an  English  tribute  to  this 
flower : 

Delphiniums — As  permanent  subjects  in  the  hardy 
flower  garden  we  have  few  plants  more  worthy  of  special 
attention  than  the  Delphiniums.  For  producing  a 
striking  display  over  a  long  season  they  are  probably 
unique.  Eor  general  effect  in  groups  or  beds  they  are 
extremely  valuable  as  a  whole,  but  one  is  easily  carried 
away  on  closer  inspection  by  the  exquisite  beauty  of 
their  flowers,  particularly  those  with  clear,  sky-blue 
shades.  Indeed,  they  have  many  points  of  excellence, 
any  one  of  which  alone  should  entitle  them  to  popu- 
larity. But  to  appreciate  their  beauty  one  must  see 
them  growing,  for  it  is  almost  impossible  to  convey  any- 
thing like   an   adequate  idea  of  their  worth  by  mere 


130  THE    GOLD    MINE 

description,  and  it  is  equally  impossible  to  place  their 
towering  and  densely-flowered  spikes  before  the  public 
at  the  summer  exhibitions  in  a  manner  worthy  of  them. 
Those  who  have  not  the  opportunity  of  seeing  these 
plants  in  flower,  or  a  collection  of  them  well  established, 
may  form  some  idea  of  a  group  with  the  flower  spikes 
five  to  eight  feet  high,  and  densely  clothed  for  about 
half  their  length  with  exquisitely  beautiful  blooms.  Of 
course  the  plants  do  not  reach  such  perfection  in  the 
first  year,  but  in  the  second  year  they  certainly  con- 
stitute the  grandest  possible  display.  While  making 
the  garden  gay  for  a  long  season,  they  are  in  the  great- 
est perfection  in  June  and  July,  but  a  judicious  selec- 
tion of  them  may  somewhat  extend  that  period.  Where 
seed  is  not  required  the  plants  should  be  cut  down  as 
soon  as  flowering  is  over,  and  in  the  late  summer  months 
many  of  them  will  yield  another  set  of  spikes,  not  so 
fine,  of  course,  as  the  first  ones.  The  shades  of  blue, 
both  light  and  dark,  are  very  numerous;  others,  again, 
have  flowers  of  the  deepest  indigo  and  violet,  while  less 
numerous  are  those  with  bronzy  and  metallic  hues  com- 
bined with  other  shades. — Gardening  Illustrated. 

I  here  give  place  for  an  excellent  article  from 
E.  Hemming,  in  Florists'  Exchange  of  July  9,  1904: 

Among  hardy  perennials  the  Delphinium,  or  Peren- 
nial Larkspur,  has  held  front  place  for  the  past  two 
weeks.  Closely  following  the  late  varieties  of  Paeonies, 
they  stand  out  as  the  most  showy  border  plants  bloom- 
ing at  the  present  time.  A  good,  large  collection  of 
these  plants  is   a  sight  to  be  remembered,   especially 


IN   THE  FRONT    YARD.  131 

when  well  grown  and  cared  for.  The  exquisite  shades 
of  blue  have  to  be  seen  to  be  appreciated.  While  the 
named  kinds  grown  so  extensively  in  England  soon  die 
out  and  require  great  care  to  perpetuate  them  in  this 
country,  they  are  so  easily  grown  from  seed,  and  so 
invariably  give  good  results  if  a  good  strain  of  seed  is 
procured,  that  they  should  be  better  known  among  flor- 
ists. A  visit  among  the  gardens  along  the  Hudson 
revealed  the  fact  that  they  grow  exceptionally  well  in 
that  locality,  and  spikes  towering  up  to  eight  and  nine 
feet  high  were  not  at  all  uncommon. 

Delphinium  Elatum,  or  Exalatum,  is  a  native  of 
x^ortli  America.  This  is  supposed  to  be  the  origin  of 
the  tall  garden  varieties,  often  called  English  Delphin- 
iums, that  have  been  so  much  improved  by  Kelway  and 
other  nurserymen. 

Delphinium  Formosum  is  of  more  branching  habit, 
seldom  exceeding  the  height  of  three  feet,  but  a  prime 
favorite,  owing  to  its  beautiful  color,  which  is  a  combi- 
nation of  indigo,  violet  and  sky  blue, 

D.  Grandiflorum,  or  Chinensis,  as  it  is  often  called, 
is  a  very  fine  cut-leafed  kind,  having  several  varieties. 

All  the  above  are  good,  and  well  worth  growing,  be- 
ing useful  for  cutting  and  attractive  in  every  way,  and 
the  same  treatment  will  suit  them  all. 

Of  course  it  is  necessary  to  propagate  named  kinds 
by  division  or  cuttings.  This  should  be  done  in  the 
very  early  spring.  Growing  them  from  seed,  however, 
is  the  most  satisfactory  way.  D.  Formosum  and  D. 
Grandiflorum   come  fairly  true  from   seed,   producing 


132  THE    GOLD    MINE 

very  few  poor  forms  if  the  seed  is.  procured  from  a  reli- 
able source.  The  seed  should  be  fresh,  as  it  seems  to 
lose  its  germinating  power  very  rapidly.  Sown  in  early 
spring,  it  will  produce  plants  that  will  flower  the  first 
year.  Of  course  the  flower  spikes  are  not  very  large, 
but  sufficiently  so  to  select  the  best  to  plant  out  in  the 
position  they  are  wanted  to  fill.  When  in  a  young  state 
care  should  be  taken  to  keep  a  sharp  lookout  for  snails, 
as  these  pests  seem  passionately  fond  of  the  plants,  and 
will  make  sad  havoc  of  them  in  a  short  time. 

Quite  a  percentage  of  Kelway's  hybrids  will  come 
double  from  seed,  but  it  is  an  open  question  if  the 
double  forms  are  superior  to  the  single  ones. 

As  regards  the  after  treatment,  or  when  they  are 
planted  in  the  open  ground,  deep,  generous  cultivation 
and  good,  rich  soil  is  what  they  like;  and,  when  plant- 
ing, see  that  the  crowns  are  well  below  the  surface  of 
the  soil;  one  and  a  half  to  two  inches  is  not  too  much. 
As  soon  as  the  plants  have  done  flowering,  unless  they 
are  wanted  for  seed,  the  flower  stems  should  be  cut 
down.  This  will  induce  a  second  crop  of  flowers. 
While  perhaps  not  equal  to  the  first  crop,  they  will  be 
found  to  be  well  worth  looking  after. 

The  seeds  of  this  plant  are  quite  small,  and  it  is  very 
difficult  to  germinate  them,  as  the  ground  dries  up 
while  they  are  sprouting.  It  is  perhaps  as  well  to  get 
the  plants  in  the  spring  and  give  them  the  best  of  care. 
They  will  bloom  in  good  season. 

Intense  blue  among  flowers  is  a  striking  color,  and 
is  needed  to  cover  the  range  of  beauty.     Many  of  our 


IN   THE  FRONT    YARD.  133 

choicest  families,  like  the  Paeoiiy  and  Rose,  avoid  that 
color  altogether.  But  when  you  see  the  Delphinium 
in  all  its  glory,  with  those  rich  tints,  and  all  the  delicate 
penciling  and  tracing  done  with  nature's  most  skillful 
touch,  you  will  feel  that  you  have  the  link  you  need  in 
the  chain  of  beauty. 

I  was  delighted  in  a  trip  to  the  extreme  north  to  find 
these  glorious  flowers  in  their  perfection.  They  were 
in  evidence  in  the  parks  of  Winnipeg,  and  in  many 
private  grounds.  It  was  encouraging  to  see  them  like 
posts,  six  feet  high,  covered  in  their  robes  of  blue. 
Their  extreme  hardiness  is  a  matter  of  great  encour- 
agement. In  the  border,  set  them  back  near  the  shrub- 
bery, for  they  are  too  rank  to  place  them  near  the  walk. 

When  you  can  have  such  imposing  flowers  as  these, 
you  need  not  wait  long  to  surround  your  home  with  as 
much  beauty  as  can  be  found  anywhere. 


THE  LILY. 


There  are  about  fifty  species  of  this  glorious  flower, 
ranging  in  size  from  the  attractive  little  Tenuifolium 
to  the  immene  Giganteum,  which  must  have  five  years 
to  complete  bulb,  which  throws  up  a  stem  six  inches 
through  and  ten  feet  high. 

There  is  also  a  wide  range  in  the  time  of  flowering, 
which  covers  a  good  portion  of  the  summer.  It  is  not 
practical  to  secure  the  whole  of  this  family,  but  enough 
of  the  leading  kinds  can  be  planted  to  have  a  cheering 
variety. 


134  THE    GOLD    MINE 

One  trouble  has  been  in  nnclerstanding  tliem — their 
nature  and  needs.  Siberian  lilies  are  covered  deep  with 
snow  in  winter^  so  are  those  of  the  Kockies,  and  the 
natives  of  Minnesota  and  the  E'orth.  There  are  fine 
ones  growing  in  the  woods  of  Canada.  All  these  are 
carefully  covered  up  with  the  snow  mantle  in  winter, 
and  this  is  the  best  covering  ever  devised.  JSTow, 
take  these  same  plants  from  their  OAvn  habitat  and 
plant  them  on  the  open,  bleak  prairies  of  the  West  and 
many  of  them  will  perish.  The  bare  ground  freezes 
deep.  They  are  often  planted  shallow,  and  so  they  die 
for  want  of  protection.  Many  are  so  hardy  they  will 
endure  anything. 

This  is  true  of  the  Hermorocallis  family  and  some 
others.  ■       ^ 

Generally,  the  soil  is  not  prepared  thoroughly  enough, 
and  they  are  not  planted  deep  enough.'  Some  dig  a 
trench,  put  manure  in  the  bottom,  then  some  fine  earth, 
then  plant  a  foot  deep,  and  cover  with  sand  or  light 
earth,  so  the  plant  can  readily  push  its  way  up. 

C.  L.  Allen,  in  a  recent  work,  gives  the  following 
directions:  ^^To  prepare  a  proper  home  for  the  Lily 
the  soil  should  be  thrown  out  to  the  depth  of  two  feet. 
Then,  in  the  bottom  of  the  trench,  put  six  inches  of  cow 
manure ;  then  put  on  twelve  inches  of  well  rotted  sod ; 
on  this  put  two  inches  of  clean  sand;  then  plant  the 
bulbs  and  cover  with  fine  earth.  But  for  the  western 
prairies  this  is  not  deep  enough.''  From  my  own  expe- 
rience, I  think  a  depth  of  eight  to  twelve  inches  is 
preferable.     Only  be  careful  of  the  kind  of  earth  witli 


IN  THE  FRONT  YARD.  135 

which  YOU  cover  them.  If  jou  put  on  stiff  clay  it  will 
be  hard  for  them  to  bore  their  way  through.  Light 
earth,  mixed  with  old  and  thoroughly  pulverized 
manure,  should  be  used.  In  no  case  allow  the  bulbs 
to  touch  fresh  manure.  Then,  when  winter  comes,  put 
on  about  six  inches  of  coarse  manure.  In  this  way  you 
will  obtain  protection  for  your  bulbs,  and,  though  the 
ground  may  freeze,  they  will  not  be  near  enough  to  '^all 
out  of  doors"  to  hurt  them.  The  bulb,  like  that  of  the 
Paeony,  carries  the  life  and  sustenance  of  the  plant. 

Cared  for  in  the  way  described,  the  lilies  will  retain 
their  vigor,  and  all  up  and  down  the  stem  new  bulbs 
will  form.  [N'ever  plant  them  on  wet  ground.  Though 
they  need  water  in  a  dry  time,  they  cannot  endure  wet 
feet. 

I  think  tliere  is  no  soil  better  for  their  propagation 
than  our  rich,  light,  prairie  loam.  Here  they  bloom 
gloriously,  and  propagate  freely. 

THE   TIME   TO  PLANT. 

The  Candidum,  or  Annunciation  Lily,  with  its  bloom 
of  purest  white,  should  be  planted  in  its  dormant  con- 
dition, which  is  the  last  of  Augiist  and  the  first  of  Sep- 
tember. After  a  brief  period  of  rest  it  begins  to  grow, 
and  produces  quite  a  tuft  of  foliage  before  winter  sets 
in.  We  cannot  speak  too  highly  of  this  exquisitely 
beautiful  flower.  It  is  often  used  for  forcing,  to  pro- 
duce flowers  for  Easter.  Its  purity  of  whiteness  and 
delightful  fragrance  make  it  a  favorite.  It  does  not 
seem  to  be  a  hard  plant  to  raise.     I  have  planted  them, 


136  THE    GOLD    MINE 

when  badly  grown,  as  late  as  October,  and  they  did  well, 
in  spite  of  the  shock  of  moving  at  the  wrong  time. 

The  Lily  should  not  remain  out  of  ground  long  before 
planting,  and  must  never  be  allov/ed  to  dry.  Tliere  is 
a  great  advantage  in  securing  home-grown  instead  of 
imported  ones,  for,  unless  properly  packed,  they  must 
suffer  for  being  so  long  out  of  ground. 

Some  kinds  do  best  with  partial  shade,  while  others 
flourish  in  the  open.  I  have  a  grand  one  from  the 
^orth  Carolina  mountains,  sent  out  by  Fred  Kelsey. 
It  does  not  do  well  in  the  open ;  it  does  not  grow^  so  tall 
or  flower  so  freely  as  those  under  partial  screen  and 
good  surrounding  shelter.  These  grow  to  be  seven  feet 
high,  with  glorious  clusters  of  freckled  yellow  flowers. 
They  have  a  rich,  soft  coloring,  and  give  them  forest  or 
native  conditions,  with  plenty  of  water  in  a  dry  time, 
and  they  will  be  all  you  can  ask  for. 

The  beautiful  Golden  Funkai,  or  Day  Lily,  is  an 
early  one.  It  has  a  clear,  yellow  color.  There  is  an- 
other, much  taller  and  later,  which  is  very  satisfactory. 

One  of  the  hardiest,  most  showy,  as  well  as  attractive, 
is  the  Elegans.  It  blooms  along  with  the  Paeonies,  and 
goes  into  the  wholesale  business,  covering  the  whole 
plant  with  a  mantle  of  bloom.  These  propagate  read- 
ily ;  the  stem  under  ground  has  a  string  of  bulblets  on  it. 
Dig  up  the  whole ;  plant  the  larger  ones  for  next  year's 
flowering,  and  the  small  ones  for  another  year's  growth. 

Then  come  the  double  and  single  Tiger  Lilies. 
These  are  very  robust,  hardy  and  prolific  of  bloom. 
Up  and  down  the  stem  tiny  bulbs  are  attached,  about 


IN   THE  FRONT   YARD.  137 

the  size  of  blackberries.  Do  you  wish  to  multiply  them 
as  rapidly  as  possible?  Then  cut  off  these  stems  as 
carefully  as  possible,  so  as  not  to  shatter  off  the  tiny 
bulblets,  and  plant  them  in  good,  light  soil,  covering 
about  two  or  three  inches  deep.  The  embryo  bulbs 
seem  to  feed  on  the  stem,  and  in  the  spring  they  come 
up  good  and  strong.  It  takes  a  couple  of  years  or  so 
for  them  to  be  large  enough  to  flower. 

The  Pardanthus  Chinensis  or  Leopard  Flower  rather 
belongs  to  the  Iris  family,  yet  it  is  called  the  Black- 
berry Lily.  It  is  rather  late,  blossoming  in  mid-sum- 
mer. It  has  a  very  pretty  little  flower,  and  when  that 
is  gone  a  blackberry  takes  its  place,  continuing  the 
attraction  of  the  plant.  These  berries  hang  on  a  long 
time.  If  you  wish  for  more  of  these  flowers,  plant  the 
blackberries  in  the  spring,  and  they  will  grow  readily. 

The  Plantain  Lily  grows  to  have  very  large  stools 
of  beautiful  foliage.  They  have  snowy  white  blossoms, 
very  much  like  the  Candidum.      They  bloom  in  August. 

The  Homerocallis  are  strong  plants.  These  do  not 
have  bulbous  roots,  but  are  propagated  by  root  sepa- 
ration, and  also  by  seeds. 

The  Tenuifolia  is  the  sweetest  and  daintiest  of  all. 
Charming;  blooms  hano-  like  chandeliers  around  the 
stem.  These  roots  are  edible,  and  the  traveler  in  the 
woods  of  Siberia  finds  a  plant  with  a  charming  flower 
at  one  end  and  a  potato  at  the  other. 

Many  kinds  do  not  multiply  rapidly,  though  the  root 
makes  it  up  by  producing  seed,  Avhich  can  be  planted 


138  THE    GOLD   MINE 

in  the  spring,  care  being  taken  not  to  allow  them  to 
dry  during  germination. 

J.  Wilkinson  Elliot,  of  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  gives  this 
description  of  a  garden  of  lilies : 

^^A  correspondent  complains  that  we  have  told  him 
too  often  of  the  lawyer's  garden;  but  it  is  still  the 
best  garden  in  this  vicinity,  and  a  good  garden  cannot 
be  told  about  too  often. 

^^Our  friend,  the  lawyer,  has  a  garden  of  Lillies.  Many 
other  things  he  has  in  his  garden — great  banks  of  Mol- 
lis and  Ghent  Azaleas  that  are  worth  a  long  journey 
to  see ;  an  entire  hillside  is  covered  with  hybrid  Rhodo- 
dendrons and  Kalmia  Latifolia;  Tulips,  Daffodils  and 
Crocuses  are  everywhere  in  the  spring,  and  the  glori- 
ous show  of  Japanese  Irises  in  June  is  a  sight  not  easily 
to  be  forgotten — but  he  has  Lilies  by  the  hundred  and 
by  the  thousand,  and  in  so  many  varieties  that  from 
June  until  November  there  is  always  a  fine  display  of 
Lily  fiowers.  Such  a  garden !  By  daylight  it  is  splen- 
did, by  moonlight  it  is  fairyland,  and  the  air  is  filled 
with  fragrance.  Such  a  garden  to  visit,  as  we  do  visit 
it,  and  travel  forty  miles  a  dozen  times  a  year,  and 
come  away  wdth  our  arms  filled  with  great  stalks  of 
Lily  bloom;  for  this  is  a  garden  in  which  there  are 
always  flowers  to  cut  and  to  spare.  It  is  not  the  mis- 
erable garden  of  bedding  plants  in  which  its  owner  finds 
it  difficult  to  cut  a  little  nosegay  to  give  to  a  friend. 
We  wish  you  who  are  content  to  grow  such  common- 
place things  of  so  little  beauty  as  Cannas,  Geraniums, 
Coleus  and  Alternantheras,  could  visit  this  garden  of 


Gaillardia  Grandifloea. 


IN  THE   FRONT  YARD.  141 

Lilies,  and  then  say  what  excuse  you  have  to  offer  for 
your  poor  taste.  Xot  that  of  cost,  for  Lily  bulbs  are 
to  be  had  for  as  little  money  as  bedding  plants,  and  as 
Lilies  are  hardy,  their  first  cost  is  their  only  cost,  while 
bedding"  plants  must  be  bought  every  season.'' 

We  are  to  remember  this  was  written  of  the  east,  and 
that  Azaleas  and  Kalmias  will  not  grow  in  the  West. 

THE    GAILLARDIA. 

This  perennial  is  beginning  to  receive  much  atten- 
tion, and  with  reason.  There  is  no  plant  so  susceptible 
of  improvement.  In  England  the  Ivelways  have  made 
marvelous  success  as  regards  size  and  color.  They  have 
produced  some  five  inches  across.  A  bed  of  them  pre- 
sents a  very  lively  and  brilliant  appearance.  They  are 
l)rodigal  bloomers.  I  doubt  if  there  is  any  flower 
which  can  give  such  an  abundance  of  continuous  bloom 
as  these.  Commencing  in  June,  they  are  clothed  in 
beauty  until  the  hard  frosts  of  Autumn.  They  endure 
dry  Aveather  well,  and  seem  hardy  every  way.  As  cut 
flowers  they  are  brilliant  and  showy  and  among  the 
longest  keepers. 

They  need  heavy  mulching  with  coarse  manure  when 
the  ground  freezes.  It  would  be  as  w^ell  to  leave  the 
tops  on  and  throw  the  mulching  on  them,  thus  giving 
ventilation  as  well  as  protection.  The  seeds  grow  read- 
ily. A  portion  can  be  started  in  the  house  and  then 
set  out  after  danger  of  frost  is  over.  Of  course  it  is 
better  to  get  the  plants,  but  the  roots  are  small,  com- 
pared   to   the   upper   growth,    and    seem    insignificant. 


142  THE   GOLD    MINE 

Seed  sown  in  the  open  germinates  readily,  and  the 
plants  become  very  vigorous  and  commence  to  bloom 
as  soon  as  large  enough.  These  flowers  you  can  de- 
pend on.  Others,  like  Eoses,  Paeonies  and  Lilies,  have 
their  season  and  pass  on.  But  the  Gaillardias  take  all 
the  season,  and  when  others  fail,  you  can  count  on 
them.  Though  new  to  most  people,  I  find  they  take 
well  when  ordinary  floral  displays  are  needed. 

The  Grandiflora  is  a  fine,  large  flower.  In  color  it 
is  a  madder,  maroon  and  gold,  often  with  other  tints. 
Some  will  have  very  open  faces  and  others  will  have 
petals  compressed  at  the  base  and  expanded  in  the 
outer  rim.  It  is  easy  to  see  how,  with  such  a  variety 
of  form  and  color,  selections  can  be  made,  and  they  can 
be  increased  in  size.  The  English  have  pushed  things 
so  far  that  the  most  highly  developed  ones  are  not 
hardy.  I  think  perhaps  if  these  gorgeous  ones  were 
crossed  with  our  own  natives,  we  might  have  some  of 
hardier  strains.  Should  you  ever  get  imported  ones, 
I  would  advise  you  to  take  up  the  roots  in  the  fall 
and  store  in  boxes  of  earth  till  spring.  I  had  quite 
a  quantity,  and  even  heavy  mulching  did  not  save 
them. 

I  had  for  some  time  supposed  that  all  Gaillardias 
were  perennials,  but  I  find  they  are  not. 

Lorenziana  is  a  double  with  a  full  cushion  richly 
variegated. 

Amblydon  is  blood  red.  Sow  these  early  in  the 
spring  and  they  blossom  in  June  and  keep  at  it  all 
summer. 


Gaillardia  Lorenziana. 


Okiental  Perennial  Pop^y. 


IN  THE   FRONT  YARD.  145 

A  native  Gaillardia  grows  in  Western  l^ebraska 
which  flowers  freely.  This  also  seems  to  be  an  an- 
nual, blooming  freely  in  the  summer.  Grandiilora  is 
perennial. 

THE  ORIENTAL  POPPY. 

Years  ago,  visiting  one  of  the  eastern  parks,  I  saw 
a  marvelous  flower.  It  was  a  very  blaze  of  splendor — 
dazzling  in  its  effulgence.  The  blossoms  were  of  im- 
mense size,  and  of  flame  color  so  brilliant  as  to  amaze 
you.  They  were  often  seven  inches  across,  and  within 
a  seed  pod  of  exquisite  symmetry,  and  set  around  it 
were  featherj^  and  delicate  stamens.  The  inner  sides 
of  the  petals  were  adorned  with  the  most  remarkable 
tracery  and  pencilings,  and  all  this  inside  work  was 
done  in  ebony.  Taken  as  a  whole,  its  immense  size 
and  exquisite  workmanship  made  it  a  marked  flower. 
I  had  tried  so  many  choice  things  from  the  east  and 
found  them  failures  in  the  west,  I  was  a  little  afraid 
of  this.  The  next  year  I  secured  some,  and  found  to 
my  delight  that  they  are  well  adapted  to  all  the  West 
and  Is'orthwest.  Since  then  I  have  seen  them  grow- 
ing without  winter  protection  in  the  Yellowstone  Park 
in  a  garden  near  the  Mammoth  Hot  Springs.  They 
prove  hardy  in  Minnesota,  and  I  saw  them  in  Mani- 
toba, so  that  there  is  no  doubt  of  their  hardiness. 

The  root  is  in  shape  and  color  like  a  small  parsnip. 
The  seeds  are  so  small  it  is  a  diflicult  matter  to  raise 
them.  You  must  put  them  under  a  screen,  and  put 
burlap  over  them,  and  water  that  every  night  till  the 


146  THE    GOLD    MINE 

plants  begin  to  come  np.  Then  take  the  cloth  off  at 
night,  and  water  carefnlly  with  the  sprinkler,  care 
being  taken  to  keep  the  screen  on.  I  lost  abont  50,000 
at  one  time  by  taking  off  the  screen.  The  sun  burned 
them  up.  It  is  as  well  to  get  the  plants.  They  can 
be  sent  by  mail.  Get  good  one-year-old  roots,  and 
some  of  them  will  bloom  the  next  year.  The  best  time 
to  plant  is  in  the  fall.  If  you  cannot  do  this,  plant 
early  in  the  spring.  A  gentleman  visiting  our  place 
from  Illinois  said  that  he  had  plants  bloom  twenty-five 
years  in  succession  without  any  covering;  but  I  think 
it  is  well  to  throw  some  coarse  litter  over  them.  After 
they  bloom  in  June,  the  tops  seem  to  droop  and  then 
die,  and  3'ou  might  think  the  whole  thing  dead,  root  and 
all;  but  they  are  only  going  into  a  dormant  condition 
for  rest  after  producing  those  enormous  flowers  which 
seem  to  exhaust  them.  But  about  the  first  of  Septem- 
ber they  begin  to  revive  and  send  up  new  leaves  and 
the  roots  put  on  new  vigor  for  the  next  summer's  work. 

They  bloom  with  the  Paeonies.  The  individual  flow- 
ers last  but  a  few  days ;  but  if  you  have  a  good  sized  bed 
of  them,  there  will  be  a  succession  of  .flowers  for  weeks. 

Of  recent  years  there  has  been  great  improvement 
in  them.  The  Orientale  is  bright  scarlet.  The  Brac- 
teatum  is  deep  crimson,  and  with  a  double  set  of  leaves 
— a  grand  and  stately  flower.  There  are  sometimes 
sports  or  variations;  for  instance,  last  summer  I  found 
one  of  salmon  color,  which  I  am  saving  with  great 
care.      Silver  Queen  is  silver  blush.     Pilosum  is  pale 


Seedling  Phloxes  in  York,  Nebraska,  in  Bloom  Nov.  1st, 
^Several  Severe  Frosts. 


IN  THE  FRONT   YARD.  149 

lurid  scarlet,  very  showy  and  distinct,  and  of  a  cop- 
pery hue. 

We  are  probahly  on  the  eve  of  great  advance  with 
this  flower.  As  soon  as  they  begin  to  turn  from  the 
original  type,  you  may  expect  rapid  and  wide  varia- 
tions. 

I  have  recently  secured  a  few  of  the  newer  sorts  and 
will  soon  see  what  can  be  done  in  the  way  of  crossing 
them. 

This  flower  is  a  native  of  Armenia. 

PHLOXES. 

I  once  gathered  a  lot  of  seed  for  planting  and  laid 
them  in  a  vacant  room  upstairs.  A  few  nights  after, 
in  the  stillness  of  the  night,  we  heard  a  noise  much  like 
popping  corn.  Going  up  to  find  out  the  cause,  there 
was  another  sharp  snapping  sound,  and  I  saw  a  phlox 
seed  shoot  across  the  room.  Then  I  learned  another 
lesson  on  the  intelligence  of  N^ature.  I  found  out 
afterwards  that  in  the  garden  the  ripe  seeds  would 
snap  out  quite  a  distance  from  the  plant.  Of  course 
the  design  is  to  extend  their  scope  and  area  and  gradu- 
ally possess  more  ground.  This  opened  my  eyes  to 
the  possibilities  of  their  improvement  in  raising  them 
from  seed. 

This  is  not  a  difiicult  matter  if  you  know  how.  If 
you  don't,  you  will  make  a  failure. 

An  old  and  careful  florist  who  had  rare  success  on 
other  lines  told  me  he  never  could  raise  phloxes  from 
seed.     I  asked  him  Avhat  his  method  had  been.     He 


150  THE    GOLD    MINE 

said  lie  sent  to  the  best  florists  for  the  very  choicest 
seed,  and  he  planted  ^t  time  and  again  and  not  a  seed 
grew. 

"Did  you  plant  in  the  fall  or  spring?" 

"In  the  spring,  of  course." 

"Well,  there  is  just  where  you  missed  it.  If  you 
will  watch  N"ature,  you  will  see  that  she  throws  the 
seed  on  the  ground,  where  it  lays  subject  to  the  heat 
and  cold,  lying  in  the  slush  and  snow  and  freezing 
and  thawing,  and  then  the  seeds  will  come  up  like 
hardy  weeds  in  the  spring.  If  the  winter  has  been 
wet  and  cold  Avith  a  good  deal  of  freezing  and  thawing, 
you  will  see  hundreds  of  little  ones  coming  up  all 
around  the  parent  plants." 

Sometimes  these  are  hoed  up  for  weeds,  sometimes 
the  gardener  thinks  they  will  amount  to  nothing;  that 
they  will  be  nothing  but  scrubs,  and  so  he  hoes  them 
up,  and  thus  thousands  of  promising  little  plants  have 
been  destroyed.  The  w^ay  is  to  pick  the  seed  just  be- 
fore they  are  ready  to  burst  from  the  pod ;  put  them  in 
a  basket  or  large  paper  box  with  a  cover  on  so  they 
will  not  pop  out.  Sow  them  in  the  fall  under  a  screen 
or  where  you  can  water  them  well  in  the  spring.  See 
that  they  do  not  dry  when  germinating,  and  you  will 
have  a  fine  bed  of  strong  plants  which  will  begin  to 
bloom  the  first  of  July  and  continue  till  the  hard  frosts 
of  autumn.  The  accompanying  picture  shows  a  group 
of  seedlings  in  bloom  jNTovember  1st — of  course,  after 
several  frosts. 


Ckepuscule  Phlox. 


IN  THE   FRONT  YARD.  153 


A   DISCOVERY. 


It  is  a  well  known  fact  that  some  fruits  and.  flowers 
have  a  marvelous  degree  of  motherhood.  The  Con- 
cord grape,  the  Wealthy  and  Duchess  apples  have  a 
numerous  progeny.  This  is  true  in  the  floral  world. 
For  years  I  had  been  raising  seedling  phloxes.  I  found 
no  deterioration,  and  often  improvement.  If  you  plant 
a  choice  kind  away  by  itself,  it  will  be  reproduced 
from  the  seed  to  a  large  extent,  and  often  when  inter- 
mingled the  progeny  will  surpass  the  parents. 

Of  course,  it  was  necessary  to  have  a  mother  with 
the  choicest  of  characteristics.  What  was  needed  was 
a  full  head,  large  flowers  and  continuous  bloom. 

This  was  found  in  the  Crepuscule  of  French  origin. 
The  flower  is  as  large  as  a  silver  dollar.  It  has  a  com- 
'pact,  massive  head,  as  though  it  was  one  large  blossom. 
The  bloom  is  white  with  violet  shade  and  a  large  bright 
carmine  eye.  It  is  rather  dwarf  in  habit,  for  it  prefers 
to  make  bloom  rather  than  stem  or  wood.  Every  way 
it  is  an  ideal  flower. 

I  planted  this  in  the  midst  of  others.  Right  by  the 
side  of  it  was  the  Coquelicot,  also  of  French  origin. 
This  has  blossoms  of  intense  flame  color,  but  unfor- 
tunately the  flowers  are  small,  and  they  sunburn  badly. 
In  themselves  they  are  worthless.  But  Mother  Cre- 
puscule imparted  both  size  and  hardiness  to  the  ofl^- 
spring  of  these  jolants.  On  the  other  side  there  were 
those  that  were  red,  some  magenta  and  others  of  various 
colors.     Seeds  of  these  gave  fine  distinct  flowers  and 


154  THE    GOLD    MINE 

large  size.  In  short,  as  the  result  of  that  companion- 
ship I  found  I  had  at  least  twenty  varieties,  and  most 
of  them  much  finer  than  any  I  could  import.  A  noted 
florist  came  to  see  them.  Of  course,  it  was  diflScult 
for  me  to  keep  still  after  my  discovery.  He  was  de- 
lighted. Taking  out  a  silver  dollar,  he  laid  it  on  one 
of  the  flowers  of  one  of  my  new  creations.  He  found 
it  would  not  cover  it,  and  then,  to  be  exact,  he  said 
facetiously,  ^'Tt  would  take  just  about  one  dollar  and 
thirty-five  cents  to  cover  that  single  bloom."  While 
that  was  the  largest,  there  were  several  others  which 
would  strain  a  dollar  to  cover  them.  Of  course,  this 
opens  a  new  chapter,  and  I  am  now  on  the  highway  of 
other  discoveries.  I  have  sent  for  the  largest  I  can 
hear  of  and  intend  to  follow  this  matter  up. 

There  is  this  difference  between  phloxes  and  paeonies. 
You  plant  the  seed  of  the  former,  and  you  get  your 
results  within  the  year,  often  in  ten  months;  whereas 
with  the  latter  it  will  take  five  to  eight  years. 

TIME    OF    PLANTING. 

I  find  it  is  best  to  jDlant  in  the  fall.  Have  your 
ground  rich  and  friable — well  pulverized  so  the  plant 
can  easily  assimilate  the  food.  If  you  want  a  plant  to 
do  its  best,  you  must  do  your  best  by  it.  Always  mulch 
in  winter. 

You  may  put  the  finest  kind  that  money  will  buy 
in  the  sod,  and  give  it  neglect,  and  the  flowers  will  be 
small.  Then  you  say  the  florist  has  deceived  you,  when 
if  you  would  go  to  his  grounds  you  would  find  every- 


IN  THE  FRONT  YARD.  155 


thing  as  he  represented.  Now  if  a  pL^nt  like  the  phlox 
is  to  do  its  best  work,  it  must  have  the  very  best  chance. 
Pnt  them  about  two  feet  apart  each  way  and  give  them 
the  best  of  cultivation,  and  you  will  have  your  reward. 
If  you  were  fitting  a  lot  of  choice  cattle  for  the  show, 
rino',  you  would  not  feed  them  on  straw  and  treat  them 
with  utter  neglect.  Your  great  Holstein  must  have 
something  besides  rotten  and  mouldy  hay  if  you  ex- 
pect a  good  flow  of  milk.  So  if  your  flowers  are  ex- 
pected to  go  on  dress  parade,  you  must  give  them  some- 
thing to  make  their  beautiful  garments  out  of. 

It  is  not  wise  to  send  for  seeds.  People  often  ask 
me  for  them.  I  refuse.  It  is  hard  to  separate  them 
from  the  pods.  The  better  way  is  to  get  the  plants, 
if  only  a  few,  and  raise  your  own  seed.  You  can  have 
the  time  of  blooming  under  absolute  control  from  June 
till  November.  If  you  have  a  large  bed,  when  they 
are  six  inches  to  a  foot  high,  mow  off  a  portion.  This 
retards  them,  and  you  can  vary  this  method  to  fit  the 
time  you  wisli  them  to  flower.  Again,  you  may  have 
a  bed  a  year  old.  These,  if  undisturbed,  will  bloom 
early.  Then  will  come  the  fall  planted  ones,  a  little 
later  in  blooming.  Then  those  planted  in  the  spring.. 
Lastly  those  grown  from  seed  will  take  the  remainder 
of  the  season,  till  the  hard  frosts  of  autumn. 

It  is  well  to  take  up  and  separate  the  roots  every 
fall.  Under  good  care  they  readily  double  every  year, 
and  some  plants  will  give  you  three  or  four.  Do  not 
plant  them  in  heavy  clay  lands,  for  the  fibrous  roots 


156  THE   GOLD    MINE 

are  very  tender  and  will  break  as  you  separate  the  stiff 
earth  from  them. 

THE   NAME   PHLOX. 

The  signification  is  flame,  on  account  of  the  bril- 
liancy of  the  flowers.  In  the  early  days  of  Illinois,  we 
used  to  see  great  fields  of  these  plants  in  the  fullness  of 
their  beauty.  Along  in  the  fifties  I  used  to  ride  over 
the  vast  prairies  of  Minnesota,  where  there  would  be 
great  flower  gardens  of  thousands  of  acres,  which  filled 
the  air  with  their  fragrance ;  and  the  tonic  of  the  fresh 
air  laden  with  perfume,  and  the  immense  fields  of  grow- 
ing beauty  would  bring  a  new  zest  to  life. 

In  the  Yellowstone  Park  there  is  a  beautiful  creep- 
ing Phlox,  which  blooms  in  spite  of  the  frosts.  It 
spreads  out  in  clusters,  often  covering  the  rocks.  It  is 
flesh,  or  light  pink,  in  color,  and  a  very  attractive 
flower. 

The  Phlox  is  a  native  of  I^orth  America.  It  was 
taken  to  Europe,  and  in  the  hands  of  florists  there,  it 
has  shown  variations  of  form  and  color  that  are  amaz- 
ing. Its  cultivation  has  great  possibilities  for  the  am- 
ateur. The  family  is  so  large  and  the  variations  so 
extensive  that  hybridization  is  yet  going  on.  Their 
improvement  and  development  have  reached  that  stage 
where,  with  a  little  care,  we  can  have  a  marvelous  di- 
versity in  form  and  color.  Plant  the  choice  varieties 
by  themselves ;  save  the  seed,  planting  it  under  a  screen 
in  the  fall,  and  you  stand  a  chance  of  securing  the 
same.     Of  course,   if   vou   raise   for   the   market   vou 


IN  THE   FRONT   YARD.  157 

should  wait  till  thej  flower,  and  eliminate  everything 
not  np  to  the  parental  pattern. 

The  Paniculata.     Is  a  strong  growing  native  variety. 

The  Maculata.  Is  of  a  more  dwarfish  habit.  These 
two  have  been  hybridized  by  European  florists,  till  now 
we  have  perhaps  a  hundred  choice  kinds. 

The  Divaricata.  Is  yet  another  variety  of  our  na- 
tives. 

Phlox  Dnnnmoncli.  Was  found  growing  in  Texas 
by  a  botanical  collector,  Mr.  Drummond.  He  sent  the 
seed  home,  but  soon  after  died  of  the  fever,  so  this  va- 
riety, which  is  an  annual,  was  named  from  him.  This 
has  been  greatly  improved,  and  it  is  claimed  that  some 
of  the  finest  perennials  have  a  strain  of  the  Drummondi. 
The  plants  should  have  the  best  of  care.  They  need 
Avater  in  hot,  dry  weather.  I  have  known  them  to 
stand  up  well  under  110  in  the  shade,  with  the  hot  wind 
raging,  provided  they  had  plenty  of  water. 

SOME   OF   THE   VARIETIES THE   WHITE. 

Independence.  Is  a  full,  snowy  white,  one  of  the 
early  ones.     It  is  a  free  bloomer  and  quite  attractive. 

Jeanne  d'  Arc.  Is  massive,  fine  and  late,  a  great 
mass  of  purity. 

The  Pearl.     Is  another  very  fine  one. 

But  the  grandest  of  all  is  Praulein  Gr.  Von  Lossburg. 
This  is  far  in  advance  of  any  white  one  yet  produced. 
The  flowers  are  of  glowing,  sheeny  whiteness,  and  are 
of  immense  size,  sometimes  measuring  nearly  two  inch- 
es in  diameter.      These  are  very  rare,  and  so  are  quite 


158  THE    GOLD   MINE 

expensive.  But  in  this  superb  variety  you  have  tlie 
very  triumph  of  horticulture,  showing  the  Avide  contrast 
between  this  new  creation  and  the  original  stock. 

Coquelicot.  Is  French  for  poppy.  This  is  flaming, 
bright,  orange  scarlet,  almost  the  color  of  the  brilliant 
oriental  poppy.  They  are  the  brightest  of  all,  but  our 
hot  suns  are  almost  too  much  for  them.  They  should 
have  some  shelter  from  the  fierce  heat  of  July. 

Crepuscule.  Has  a  flower  larger  than  a  silver  dol- 
lar. It  has  a  compact,  massive  head,  as  though  it  was 
one  large  blossom.  The  blooms  are  white,  with  violet 
shade,  and  a  large,  bright,  carmine  purple  eye. 

Huxley.  Is  violet  purple,  with  a  large  center  of 
pure  white. 

Esperence.  Has  a  lovely  shade  of  light  lavender 
pink,  with  great  lustrous  eyes  of  white;  compact,  a 
free  bloomer,  and  very  beautiful.  The  head  is  like  a 
great,  solid,  symmetrical  cone  of  beautiful  shadings. 

Cross  of  Honor.  This  is  not  a  large  flower,  but  is 
very  peculiar,  on  account  of  each  petal  having  a  clearly 
defined  cross. 

Eclaireur.  Has  flowers  of  immense  size.  They  are 
bright  violet  purple,  dazzling  in  their  splendor.  In  the 
center  are  marks  and  stars.  This,  by  some,  is  consid- 
ered the  finest  of  all.  It  is  one  of  the  earliest.  The 
stem  is  dwarf,  but  not  the  flower. 

Amarante.     Is  dark  violet  amaranth. 

Bacchante.  Has  enormous  flowers,  deep  rosy  car- 
mine, with  purple  eyes. 


IN  THE   FRONT  YARD.  159 


DUCHESS    D  OELEAXS. 


This  variety  is  remarkable  in  that  it  has  variegated 
foliage^  the  leaves  being  bordered  and  mottled  Avith 
^vhite.  Flowers  are  salmon  color — a  very  distinct  va- 
riety. 

Emanuel.  Is  very  rare  and  of  unusual  color — vio- 
let blue,  with  purple  center. 

Le  Soliel.  Is  light  rose,  shading  to  white  near  the 
center. 

Lord  Kelvin.     Is  very  large  bright  red. 

Lothair.     Is  salmon  red,  with  carmine  eye. 

Ornament.  Is  bright  clear  rose,  with  very  large 
pyramidal  panicles. 


LIBRARY. 

Didsion  of  KorticuKure, 

N.  0.  Dep't  of  Agnoi^lture. 


CHAPTEK  XVI. 


THE   PAEONY. 


This  flower  is  the  highest  triumph  of  floriculture.  It 
is  the  hardiest  and  has  the  widest  adaptation  of  alL 
It  flourishes  north  and  south,  east  and  west,  and  thrives 
up  to  the  Artie  circle. 

Many  varieties  have  the  fragrance  of  the  rose,  often 
surpassing  it  in  form  and  loveliness.  Some  have  the 
odor  of  the  pond  lily,  others  the  perfume  of  the  helio- 
trope, and  some  are  cinnamon  scented.  With  a  proper 
selection  of  early  and  late  varieties  they  continue  in 
bloom  from  six  to  eight  weeks. 

In  handling  them  they  are  so  hardy  that  losses  can 
seldom  occur,  and  invariably  you  plant  a  success  in- 
stead of  a  failure.  They  multiply  rapidly  instead  of 
growing  less  and  less  and  going  out  entirely  as  is  the 
case  with  many  valuable  plants.  They  are  seldom 
troubled  with  disease,  and  they  do  not  suffer'  from  in- 
sect pests  such  as  often  destroy  the  rose. 

They  are  both  patrician  and  plebeian  in  character. 
They  will  grow  and  bloom  as  well  in  the  gardens 
of  the  poor  as  in  costly  estates  of  the  rich.  They  are 
the  joy  of  the  poor  girl  as  well  as  the  lady  of  fashion. 
Their   cheerful   faces    are   an   antidote   for   the   blues. 


IN  THE  FRONT  YARD.  163 

Every  blossom  is  a  smile  of  Providence,  sliowing  that 
God  is  near,  giving  choicest  gifts  to  men. 

They  are  the  interpreters  of  the  unseen  love  which 
is  lurking  in  the  shadows  waiting  for  a  revelation  to 
the  toilers  and  the  despondent. 

'No  more  heroic  flower  ever  bloomed. 
In  the  great  prairie  empire,  so  dreary  and  vast, 
Where  roses  are  slain  by  the  terrible  blast. 
Where  sirocco  and  blizzard  in  tournament  vie, 
And  flowers  of  the  Eastland  grow  homesick  and  die ; 
Where  gardens  are  lonely  and  homes  are  forlorn, 
There  bravely  our  queen  lifts  her  beautiful  form 
And  laughs  at  the  tempest  and  smiles  at  the  storm. 
And  mothers  whose  eyes  have  grown  weary  with  wait- 
ing, 
And  girls  whose  sweet  spirits  for  beauty  are  aching. 
Shall  smile  on  the  march  of  our  glorious  flower. 
And  souls  that  are  hungry  her  beauty  devour. 
Xo  more  shall  the  homestead  be  sad  and  forlorn. 
An  invasion  of  beauty  the  land  shall  adorn. 
How  sweetly  her  blossoms  the  senses  beguile, 
And  the  weary  revive  with  the  breath  of  her  smile. 

What  tremendous  strides  have  already  been  made, 
and  the  successes  of  the  past  are  only  prophecies  of  the 
future.  Fifty  years  ago  there  were  only  twenty-five 
varieties.  Now  there  are  over  2,000  named,  besides 
thousands  of  others  in  the  background.  An  interest 
is  being  awakened  unknown  before. 

One  man  has  recently  planted  35  pounds  of  the 
choicest  seed  he  can  gather,  and  hundreds  of  others  are 


164  THE   GOLD    MINE 

endeavoring  to  call  out  of  the  unknown,  clioicer  ones 
than  have  jet  been  discovered.  'No  flower  so  richly 
rcAvards  the  propagator.  Among  a  thousand  seedlings 
there  may  be  only  one  of  superior  excellence,  yet  each 
one  will  be  distinct  from  the  rest,  and  not  a  poor  or 
worthless  one  among  them  all. 

To  show  the  awakening  interest  in  the  fall  of  1904 
the  leading  papers  of  the  West,  aggregating  a  circula- 
tion of  over  300,000,  have  given  special  illustrated  is- 
sues awakening  an  interest  in  the  great  empire  of  the 
N^orthwest,  where  such  flowers  are  so  much  needed  and 
where  they  succeed  so  well. 

There  is  no  plant  or  flower  on  earth  which  gives  so 
much  pleasure  and  profit  and  so  richly  rewards  its 
friends. 

CLASSIFICATIOZ^    OF    TPIE    ORIGINAL   VARIETIES. 

I  have  spent  much  time  in  the  endeavor  to  search 
out  the  original  families  of  this  remarkable  flower. 
From  the  number  we  judge  that  there  is  yet  great  room 
for  progress,  and  perhaps  we  have  only  just  begun  with 
our  hybridizing.  By  permission  I  quote  from  J.  W. 
Manning,  in  ^^American  Glardening,''  of  March  5th, 
for  which  I  tender  grateful  acknowledgment: 

''Until  the  forthcoming  Paeony  list  of  the  American 
Paeony  Society  is  published,  I  believe  quotation  of  va- 
riety names  should  be  used  with  great  care,  and  believe 
that  the  best  interest  may  be  served  by  giving  the  fol- 
lowing list  of  species  and  their  distinctive  characters: 


IN  THE   FRONT   YARD.  165 

Paeonia  Albiflora,  Pallas.  A  Siberian  species  in- 
troduced about  1756,  and  one  of  the  forerunners  of  the 
hybrid  herbaceous  forms,  two  to  three  feet  high,  with 
deep,  rich  green,  often  veined  red,  leaflets,  and  bearing 
clusters  of  three  or  more  very  large,  broad,  overlapping 
petaled  white  to  light  pink  single  flowers,  and  showing 
globular  masses  of  golden  anthers  in  the  center  of  each. 
June.  Reevesiana,  Fragrans,  Whitleyi  and  Festiva 
show  close  affinity  to  this  species. 

Paeonia  Anomala,  Linn.  From  Europe  and  Asia, 
with  finely  dissected,  smooth  foliage.  Solitary,  single, 
bright  crimson  flowers,  and  distinct  in  the  large  size 
of  the  petals  and  the  peculiar  compound,  leaf-like  sepals. 
Two  feet.  May.  Its  varieties,  Insignis,  Peter  Barr, 
Smoutti  and  Intermedia  are  now  recognized,  being  more 
distinct  in  the  character  of  foliage  than  otherwise. 

Paeonia  Arietina,  Anders.  A  tall  south  European 
species,  distinct  in  the  stems,  being  hairy  toward  the 
top;  the  foliage  quite  glaucus  and  downy  beneath.  The 
flowers  are  large,  dark  red  and  solitary,  and  the  seed 
pods  are  prominently  covered  with  hairs.  The  varie- 
ties range  through  shades  of  pink  and  red. 

Paeoni  Browni,  Dougl.  A  northwest  American 
dwarf  species  with  glaucus  foliage  and  dull,  brownish- 
red  flowers,  borne  on  re-curved  stems. 

Paeonia  Broteri,  Boiss  and  Beut.  An  early-bloom- 
ing, European  species,  similar  in  foliage  and  habit  to 
Paeonia  Officinalis,  with  red  flowers  varying  to  white. 

Paeonia  Coccinea.  A  reported  species  in  the  Royal 
Botanical  Gardens  at  Glasnevin. 


166  THE    GOLD    MINE 

Paeonia  Corallina,  Retz.  Asia  Minor.  A  vigor- 
ous species,  two  to  three  feet  high,  with  dark  green 
foliage,  the  lower  leaves  of  which  are  only  twice  divid- 
ed. Bright  crimson  flowers,  with  short,  rounded  pet- 
als and  seed  vessels  of  a  bright  red  color. 

Paeonia  Coriacea,  Boiss.  Similar  to  Paeonia  Albi- 
flora,  with  even  broader  leaflets,  bright  crimson  flow- 
ers, purple  stigmas  and  smooth  seed  vessels. 

Paeonia  Corsica,  Sieber.  Closely  related  to,  if  not 
the  same  as,  the  last. 

Paeonia  Decora,  Andees.  Prom  southern  Europe. 
A  close  species  to  Paeonia  Arietina,  with  peculiar  hori- 
zontal foliage  diminishing  toward  top  of  the  stems, 
which  are  two  to  three  feet  high.  The  crimson  flowers 
are  small,  with  few  narrow  and  small  petals.  Pallasii, 
with  narrow  leaflets,  and  Elatior,  with  broadly  oblong 
leaflets,  are  recognized  varieties. 

Paeonia  Emodi,  Wale.  A  Himalayan  species,  two 
to  three  feet  high,  closely  related  to  Paeonia  Anomala, 
with  smooth,  finely  cut  foliage,  pale  beneath.  Flow- 
ers pure  white,  borne  in  clusters  of  four  or  more. 

Paeonia  Humilis,  Retz.  A  French  species  of  low 
growth,  with  somewhat  velvety  foliage,  and  with  bright 
red  flowers  on  short  stems,  and  borne  in  clusters  of  three 
or  more,  with  smooth  seed  pods. 

Paeonia  Lutea.  Recently  discovered  species  from 
Yunnan,  and  introduced  by  Abbe  Delavay,  growing 
about  two  feet  high  and  bearing  small,  bright  yellow 
flowers.      The  plant  is  somewhat  shrubby  in  habit,  and 


IN  THE  FRONT  YARD.  167 

allied  to  Paeonia  Moutan.     Not  sufficiently  tested  as 
yet  as  to  hardihood. 

Paeonia  Microcarpa,  Boiss  and  Keut.  Closely  al- 
lied to  P.  Humilis,  with  even  dwarfer  habit  and  more 
downy  foliage.     Presumably  a  native  of  France. 

Paeonia  Mollis,  Anders.  A  dwarf  Siberian  species, 
with  dark  green  upper  surface  to  foliage,  and  distinctly 
glaucous  and  velvety  below.  Plowers  pink  or  red,  and 
borne  singly. 

Paeonia  Moutan,  Sims.  The  well-known  Tree  Pae- 
ony,  a  native  of  China. 

Paeonia  Officinalis,  Lixn.  The  oldest  cultivated  spe- 
cies, first  grown  in  1548,  with  dark  green  foliage  above, 
pale  green  beneath,  growing  two  to  three  feet  high  and 
producing  single,  dark  crimson  flowers,  and  with  re- 
curved crimson  stigmas.  Early  blooming,  and  a  par- 
ent of  many  double  anemone-flowered  and  semi-double 
varieties.     A  native  of  Europe. 

Paeonia  Paradoxa,  Andees.  A  very  dwarf,  almost 
tufted,  Turkish  species,  with  three-lobed  incised  foliage 
and  purplish  red  flowers  borne  singly,  and  with  seed 
vessels  closely  pressed  together.  There  is  a  variety, 
fimbriata,  with  double  purple  flowers  and  projecting 
purple  stamens. 

Paeonia  Peregrina,  Mill.  A  European  species 
similar  to  Paeonia  Officinalis,  but  with  very  smooth, 
deep  green  foliage  above,  pale  green,  hairy  beneath. 
Flowers  bright  crimson.  This  has  given  rise  to  two 
good  double  forms  and  a  number  of  varieties  witli 
single  whorls  of  petals. 


168  THE    GOLD    MINE 

Paeonia  Obovata,  Maxim.  A  little  known  species, 
with  ^%wer  leaves  not  more  than  twice  ternate;  flow- 
ers large,  red-purple,  and  glabrons  seed  vessels." 

Paeonia  Pnbens,  Sims.  Allied  to  Paeonia  Arietina. 
Leaves  hairy  below,  margins  red. 

Paeonia  Riissi,  Bivo^^i.  A  Sicilian  and  French 
species  varying  from  Paeonia  Corallina  in  decidedly 
hairy  undersnrface  of  foliage. 

Paeonia  Sessiliflora,  Sims.  Nearly  related  to  Pae- 
onia Mollis;  very  low;  flowers  short-stemmed,  pure 
white. 

Paeonia  Triternata  (Daurica)  Pallas.  Three  feet. 
Differs  only  from  Paeonia  Corallina  in  the  rounded 
leaves,  greener  stems  and  rose-colored  flowers.  A  na- 
tive of  Caucasus. 

Paeonia  Sibrica.  A  little  known  species  in  the  Glas- 
nevin  Ex)yal  Botanic  Garden  list. 

Paeonia  Tenuifolia,  Lixx.  (Abbreviation  of  Lin- 
neus.)  A  Caucasus  species  eighteen  inches  high,  with 
light,  soft  green,  very  finely  divided  foliage,  and  dark 
crimson,  yellow  anthered  flowers  and  spirally  recurved 
stigma.  The  earliest  blooming  species.  There  are 
double  and  semi-double  types  of  this. 

Paeonia  Wittmanniana,  Stev.  A  Caucasian  and 
north  Persian  species  about  two  feet  high,  with  coarse- 
ly divided,  dark  green  foliage,  downy  beneath  and  bear- 
ing showy,  incurved,  pale  yellow  flowers,  one  to  a  stem. 
Rare. 


IN  THE  FRONT  YARD.  169 

PROPAGATION. 


It  is  liigHy  important  to  know  how  to  mnltiply  these 
vahiable  flowers,  for  the  process  is  slow  at  best. 

You  buy  a  choice  Syringa  or  Philadelphus,  and  you 
can  divide  the  roots  and  phnnt  cuttings  and  increase 
them  very  rapidly.  You  can,  in  a  few  years,  run  a 
new  kind  of  a  fruit  tree  up  into  the  millions,  but  you 
cannot  rush  the  Paeony.  One  of  the  best  on  the  list 
originated  in  1835,  and  it  is  impossible  now  to  sup- 
ply the  demand.  If  you  raise  from  seed  you  never 
reproduce  the  original,  and  it  takes  from  five  to  eight 
years  to  know  what  you  are  getting.  But  with  care, 
by  root  division  alone,  you  can  secure  from  one  to  two 
thousand  in  ten  years.  There  are  three  modes  of  prop- 
agation,—by  division,  from  roots  and  from  seed. 

We  have  a  different  system,  where  we  raise  for  roots, 
than  where  we  propagate  for  flowers.     By  the  best  of 
care  on  the  richest  ground  you  can  hurry  them  consid- 
erably.    But  there  is  a  great  difference  in  them.     L'Es- 
perence  and  Victoria  Tricolor  multiply  rapidly,  while 
J.  Discaisne,  though  a  glorious  flower,  wants  about  four 
years  to  double  itself.     Others  equally  as  good  in  bloom 
are  much  more  profitable.     From  Baroness    Schoder, 
•  La  Tulipe  and  Richardson's  Rubra  I  have  cut  thirty 
roots  in  four  years  from  one.     By  dividing  every  two 
or  three  years  you  have  perfectly  healthy  and  vigorous 
roots.     I  have  bought  those  that  must  have  stood  twelve 
or  fifteen  years.     The  buds  were  partially  decayed,  and 
they  had  great,   club-like  roots.     There  is  no  advan- 


170  THE    GOLD    MINE 

tage  in  such  large  roots.     A  two-jear-old  plant,  sound 
and  vigorous,  is  mucli  to  be  preferred. 

A  neighbor  wished  me  to  do  something  for  his  Pae- 
onies.  They  had  been  twenty-five  years  in  grass  and 
weeds.  They  were  crowding  and  exhausting  each  other. 
They  would  bud,  but  had  no  vigor  to  expand  the  bloom. 
I  took  up  great  clumps,  and  found  them  much  decayed. 
I  cut  them  up,  planting  the  buds  and  what  little  root 
I  could  secure  with  them,  and  in  two  years  had  as  strong 
and  vigorous  stock  as  I  ever  saw.  My  land  consists 
mostly  of  city  lots,  so  I  must  plant  closely  in  rows, 
about  eighteen  inches  apart,  and  eight  inches  in  the 
row.  Of  course  they  could  not  stay  long.  I  have  the 
advantage  of  irrigation  if  necessary.  I  have  often 
planted  buds  alone,  with  no  root  whatever.  One  fall 
1  put  in  thirty,  and  the  next  year  had  twenty-seven 
fine  plants. 

DIVIDING  THE   EOOTS. 

This  is  difficult,  and  requires  patience  and  judgment. 
Some  have  a  distinct  cleavage,  and  are  easily  separated. 
Others,  like  Marie  Lemoine,  have  no  cleavage,  but  are 
gnarled  and  twisted.  Some,  like  Princess  Ellen,  have 
roots  like  a  ball.  Many  are  very  tender,  and  as  you 
begin  to  divide,  they  will  snap  like  pipe  stems.  This 
is  bad,  for  there  are  the  roots,  and  you  need  them  to  go 
with  the  buds.  If  you  lose  them  it  will  take  a  year  or 
two  to  replace  them.  Let  them  lie  in  the  shade  a  few 
hours  and  wilt.  This  toughens  them  and  does  not  hurt 
them   a  particle.     You  can  immediately  restore  them 


IN  THE  FRONT  YARD.  171 

to  their  plumpness  by  putting  tliem  in  wet  moss,  or 
keeping  in  or  planting  in  moist  earth.  This  is  a  very 
important  matter.  I  got  onto  this  process  after  a  good 
deal  of  annoyance  and  vexation.  In  planting,  have 
yonr  ground  in  the  best  of  order.  I  have  deep,  rich 
soil,  fertilized  with  hen  manure  when  I  can  get  it; 
only  prepare  your  ground  beforehand,  so  the  fertiliz- 
ing will  be  assimilated.  Make  a  deep,  wide  hole  with 
the  spade,  insert  the  root,  press  the  earth  close  about, 
put  the  bud  two  or  three  inches  below  the  surface,  and 
be  careful  not  to  bruise  it.  It  is  a  good  idea  to  put 
a  coat  of  manure  over  them  in  winter. 

PLANTING  FOR   FLOWERS. 

You  can  raise  roots  and  blossoms  at  the  same  time, 
but  you  cannot  multiply  as  rapidly  as  where  you  raise 
solely  for  the  increase.  Of  course  you  will  raise  many 
flowers  while  you  are  propagating.  The  ready  bloom- 
ers will  get  in  their  work  the  second  year,  and  at  that 
time  we  often  have  quite  a  burden  of  bloom.  Some 
sorts  require  time  to  come  to  their  best.  Usually  the 
largest  and  latest  sorts  need  a  year  longer  than  the 
others,  while  some  kinds  will  bloom  on  the  least  provo- 
cation. Victoria  Tricolor  is  noted  as  an  early,  prolific 
bloomer,  and  a  ready  multiplier.  It  often  blossoms 
the  first  year. 

To  raise  the  largest  and  finest  flowers,  the  ground 
should  be  very  rich.  We  often  cart  on  soil  and  manure 
to  increase  the  depth.  Hich,  bottom  land,  well  ma- 
nured, is  best.     The  ground  to  be  planted  in  the  fall 


172  THE    GOLD    MINE 

should  be  prepared  in  the  summer.  It  should  be  spad- 
ed two  or  three  feet  deep.  Plant  in  rows  four  feet 
apart  and  three  feet  in  the  row,  so  you  can  cultivate 
with  the  horse,  if  necessary.  Sometimes  I  have  pre- 
pared ground  in  this  way:  On  an  eighth  of  an  acre 
there  were  scattered  eight  loads  of  hen  manure,  and 
a  strong  team  plowed  it  two  furrows  deep  and  too^ 
the  whole  day  for  it.  This  thorough  preparation  is 
necessary  for  the  best  results  and  the  largest  blooms. 
Of  course  you  do  not  have  to  be  at  such  expense.  They 
will  grow,  thrive  and  bloom  on  good  corn  ground.  By 
this  process  you  are  raising  roots  as  well  as  flowers, 
and  at  the  end  of  ten  years  you  will  have  an  enormous 
crop  of  the  former,  but  they  will  be  large  and  not  so 
easy  to  handle. 

In  planting  to  raise  flowers,  be  sure  to  take  good, 
strong  roots.  Such  will  come  into  bearing  much  soon- 
er than  small  ones.  I  should  not  plant  clumps,  but 
heavy  ones,  and  they  will  make  the  clumps  soon  enough. 

I  have  gone  into  detail  because  I  deem  the  Paeony 
the  queen  of  flowers,  and  it  should  have  the  best  pos- 
sible chance. 

RAISING   FEOM   ROOTS. 

I  have  watched  this  process  closely  for  years,  and 
have  found  one  thing,  perhaps  not  discovered  by  oth- 
ers. The  root  is  small  where  it  joins  at  the  top;  it 
swells  in  the  center  and  then  tapers.  ^Row  if  a  root 
is  broken  at  the  center,  the  lower  portion  never  can 
form  a  head.    It  will  try  hard.     A  callous  will  be  formed 


IN   THE   FRONT  YARD.  173 

at  either  end.  The  poor  thing  will  do  its  best  to  put 
a  head  on  itself,  but  cannot  make  it.  At  the  end  of 
the  first  year  the  root  will  jet  be  sound,  the  second 
year  the  top  will  begin  to  decay,  and  the  third  year  it 
will  be  rotten.  The  upper  portion  of  this  same  root, 
where  it  breaks  from  the  plant,  will  have  a  good  show 
for  forming  a  head.  Kinds  differ.  The  Edulis  Su- 
perba  and  others  of  its  class  are  stored  with  vitality. 
I  have  often  stripped  off  roots,  like  fingers  from  the 
hand,  and  planted  them,  and  almost  invariably  a  bud 
would  form  the  first  year  and  be  ready  for  business 
the  next  spring.  Sometimes  it  will  take  two  years  to 
form  a  head,  but  in  the  main  you  will  succeed  better 
to  carefully  divide  and  plant  root  and  bud  together. 

A  good  way  to  accelerate  the  development  of  roots 
and  latent  buds  is  to  pack  in  moss  or  moist  earth,  and 
keep  them  over  winter  in  a  cellar  which  does  not  freeze. 
I  have  often  known  roots  to  develop  twice  the  buds 
they  had  before,  and  those  with  no  buds  at  all  by  spring- 
would  have  some  fairly  well  started. 

PROPAGATION   BY  GRAFTING. 

The  propagation  of  the  pacony  as  compared  with 
fruit  trees  and  shrubs  is  slow  at  best,  so  grafting  is 
often  resorted  to. 

Understand,  every  paeony  root  is  anxious  to  live. 
We  show  elsewhere  how  a  root  will  work  three  years 
forming  a  callous  at  either  end  in  the  effort  to  live. 
Take  a  root  far  enough  removed  from  what  we  term 
the  crown,  so  it  cannot  develop  a  bud  of  its  own,  and 


174  THE    GOLD    MINE 

by  the  cleft  graft  system  insert  a  bud  of  some  choice 
variety.  The  root  will  rather  rejoice  that  a  head  has 
been  given  it,  and  will  throw  out  roots  to  match  it, 
while  there  will  be  no  danger  of  its  reproducing  itself. 
Thus  the  roots  of  common  vigorous  sorts  can  be  made 
to  accelerate  the  production  of  the  costlier  kinds.  Graft- 
ing should  be  done  late  in  the  fall  or  winter.  The 
grafts  and  cleft  in  the  root  should  be  carefully  waxed 
and  laid  away  in  damp  moss.  Then  place  in  a  cool 
cellar  till  spring.  It  would  be  better  not  to  have  them 
freeze,  though  freezing  Avould  not  seriously  injure 
them. 

A  paeony  si>ecialist  just  writes  me,  ^'I  have  some 
plants  the  eyes  of  which  alone  are  worth  $1  to  $2, 
and  what  shall  I  do  with  them  V^  I  gave  him  the 
foregoing  process,  which  I  am  sure  will  succeed. 

Suppose  you  get  a  choice  root  of  some  variety  for 
which  you  pay  $3  to  $5.  It  has  only  one  good  vigor- 
ous root,  and  perhaps  half  a  dozen  eyes — ^more  eyes 
than  the  root  can  carry  to  advantage.  I^ow  you  can  cut 
off  the  eyes  and  put  in  moist  earth  in  the  cellar,  and 
each  one  will  throw  out  tiny  roots,  and  in  the  spring 
you  can  put  it  out  carefully.  Shelter  it  a  little  from 
plunging  rains,  and  it  will  make  a  plant.  It  may  take 
two  or  three  years  to  make  a  saleable  plant  of  it.  By 
grafting  you  would  have  speedier  resiilts. 

RAISING    FROM    SEEDS. 

We  must  pay  more  attention  to  this.  There  is  no 
I'eason  why   we   should   not   produce  more   rare   sorts. 


IN  THE  FRONT  YARD.  175 

There  is  a  fascination  here.  Yon  never  know  what 
is  coming.  Jnst  beside  you,  in  the  nnknown,  there  is 
a  rare,  lovely  and  fragrant  flower  waiting  to  surprise 
you.  You  wish  to  give  it  a  chance  to  materialize,  so 
you  are  on  the  alert  to  welcome  your  new  creations. 
One  in  a  hundred  will  be  fair ;  perhaps  one  in  a  thou- 
sand will  be  superior. 

How  about  hand  pollenization  ?  I  should  let  tlie 
bees  attend  to  that. 

^ote  this  fact :  You  must  •  secure  seed  from  the 
VERY  CHOICEST  KINDS.  Here  we  are  handicapped. 
Great,  splendid  ones,  like  Festiva  Maxima,  Tecumseh 
and  Richardson's  Rubra  Superba,  can  go  no  further. 
Those  grand,  double  ones  have  reached  their  limit.  It 
is  well-known  that  the  single  and  semi-double  are  very 
prolific,  and  yield  any  amount  of  seed.  When  Terry 
and  Rosenfield,  in  the  west,  commenced  their  work, 
they  secured  seed  from  the  very  best.  Thirty  years 
ago  Mr.  Terry  began  with  seeds  from  the  choicest  flow- 
ers that  would  yield  any,  and  he  has  given  us  some  fine 
ones.  So  with  Rosenfield,  Avho  gave  us  Floral  Treas- 
ure and  Golden  Harvest,  that  now  stand  well  at  the 
head  of  the  procession. 

Other  propagators  I  know  of  have  used,  I  am  sure, 
seeds  from  inferior  plants;,  and  as  like  begets  like,  they 
have  very  inferior  strains.  One  grower,  by  a  good 
deal  of  enthusiasm  and  fulsome  praise,  has  sold  sev- 
eral which  prove  to  be  a  disappointment.  The  whole 
stock,  with  a  few  exceptions,  is  coarse  and  cheap,  and 
does  not  sustain  itself.     It  is  remarkable  that  vou  mav 


176  THE    GOLD    MINE 

raise  a  thousand  seedlings,  and  there  will  he  no  two 
exactly  alike. 

What  shall  be  done  with  the  thousands  of  rejected 
ones  ?  We  have  too  many  named  ones  already,  about 
two  thousand.  Shall  wei  throw  them  away?  By  no 
means.  If  you  had  never  seen  a  Paeony  and  were  intro- 
duced to  the  thousand  left  behind,  you  would  call  them 
fine  flowers,  and  so  they  are.  In  the  hosts  of  these 
common,  ones  I  never  saw  a  really  poor  one.  They 
are  all  good,  but  there  are  the  better  and  the  best.  I 
would  say  keep  them.  They  can  be  used  for  parks 
and  in  masses.  Put  them  on  your  cheap  list  and  clas- 
sify them  in  colors.  There  are  many  people  who  in- 
sist that  a  "piny"  is  a  "piny,''  and  that  is  all  there 
is  of  it,  and  they  will  insist  that  you  keep  a  "bargain 
counter,"  for  they  think  they  are  terribly  cheated  if 
they  have  to  pay  more  than  twenty-five  cents  for  a 
"piny."  They  are  much  like  the  young  darkey  who, 
by  mistake,  got  a  license  to  marry  Lucinda,  when  he 
had  agTeed  to  marry  Katie.  It  would  cost  him  some- 
thing to  get  a  new  license.  He  proved  equal  to  the 
occasion,  "Dere  ain't  no  $1.75  difference  between  dem 
two  niggers,  and  I'll  just  marry  Lucinda." 

W^e  are  glad  to  note  cheering  success  in  originating; 
new  varieties  in  America.  We  need  to  go  in  on  a  larger 
scale.  Mr.  Kelway,  of  England,  and  Mr.  Terry,  of 
Iowa,  have  given  us  over  100  each.  The  main  differ- 
ence between  them  is,  Kelway  has  used  the  most  ink. 
I  think  Terry  has  never  photographed  one  of  his  grand 
creations.     We   are   happy,   however,   to  present  some 


IN  THE  FRONT  YARD.  179 

in  this  Manual.  I  think  it  would  be  much  better  to 
go  heavily  into  the  business  of  propagation  than  to  send 
so  much  money  to  Europe  and  import  so  many  disap- 
pointments. 

There  is  a  future  for  this  industry.  For  instance, 
the  new  Japanese,  with  their  peculiar  stamens,  are 
very  unique.  I  have  about  twenty-four  kinds.  They 
seed  readily,  and,  having  them  hemmed  in  with  other 
fine  varieties,  I  have  great  hopes  of  a  new  race  of  hy-^ 
brids.  I  also  intend  this  fall  of  1904  to  plant  about 
two  quarts  of  the  very  choicest  seeds  that  I  can  secure. 
I  have  large  quantities  of  my  own  and  have  engaged 
more,  and  from  the  coming  thousands  I  hope  to  see 
some  of  superior  merit.  As  to  those  which  will  not 
be  named,  keep  them.  The  great  empire  of  the  North- 
west will  need  them.  Most  of  those  raised  by  Western 
growers  yet  go  East,  and  the  bleak  E'orthwest  is  ^vak- 
ing  up  to  their  merits,  and  will  yet  absorb  millions. 

CARE  or  SEEDS  AND  PLANTING. 

It  is  better  to  gather  the  seeds  before  they  get  thor- 
oughly dried,  and  plant  immediately,  or  mix  them  with 
moist  sand  and  plant  just  before  the  ground  freezes. 
In  the  West,  often  our  falls  are  so  dry  that  seed,  at 
the  ordinary  depth,  would  dry  out.  Those  can  be 
planted  that  are  thoroughly  dried,  but  it  takes  two,  and 
even  three,  years  for  them  to  germinate.  They  should 
be  planted  in  rows  about  two  inches  deep.  If,  in  the 
spring  the  ground  should  incline  to  crust,  it  may  need 
pulverizing  with  a  rake,  so  that  the  little  plants  can 


180  THE   GOLD    MINE 

come  lip  readily.  If  sown  in  a  seed  bed  they  can  be 
removed  when  a  year  old.  Though  the  roots  will  be 
small  they  will  be  full  of  vitality.  If  far  enough  apart 
so  they  can  have  a  fair  chance  to  develop,  it  is  better  to 
let  them  remain  till  they  bloom.  But  it  takes  some 
years  for  them  to  fully  show  their  individuality  so  you 
can  know  what  to  depend  on.  Don't  be  in  a  hurry. 
I  have  known  rejected  ones  to  develop  flowers  equal 
to  almost  any,  and  I  have  one  which  was  discarded  while 
young,  which  is  now  near  the  head  of  the  procession. 
Young  plants  do  not  often  go  back,  but  show  up  better 
as  they  grow  old.  The  Paeony  has  almost  infinite  pa- 
tience, and  you  must  have  a  little  even  in  this  age  of 
steam  and  lightning. 

THE  HAEDINESS  OF  THE  PAEONY. 

We  know  of  nothing  in  the  vegetable  world  which 
has  the  vigor  and  hardiness  of  this  plant.  The  root 
is  like  the  gripsack  of  the  traveler,  which  contains  the 
supplies  for  his  journey.  It  will  come  to  us  from 
Europe  and  bring  in  compact  form  foliage,  flower  and 
life.  We  know  of  nothing  that  will  stand  more  hard 
treatment,  exposure  and  neglect.  It  may  be  left  on 
the  ground,  exposed  to  the  sun,  for  days,  and  be  badly 
withered,  and  yet  it  will  revive  and  grow.  Often  we 
find,  where  we  have  cut  up  plants  in  the  fall,  that  tiny 
buds,  so  small  as  to  escape  notice,  after  freezing  and 
thawing  all  winter,  will  throw  out  shoots  and  tiny  root- 
lets, and  we  have  often  saved  them.  One  spring  two 
roots  of  La  Tulipe  were  left  in  the  barn  two  months, 


IN   THE   FRONT  YARD.  181 

till,  to  all  appearance,  they  were  dead.  They  were 
planted  the  first  of  Jnne,  and  they  immediately  revived 
and  grew. 

One  winter  we  had  several  boxes  stored  in  a  root 
cellar.  They  were  poorly  packed.  'Some  one  left  the 
door  open  and  they  were  all  frozen  solid.  The  door 
was  closed,  and  they  remained  frozen  till  spring,  when 
they  were  planted,  without  the  loss  of  one.  It  is  no 
uncommon  thing  to  keep  a  lot  in  boxes  seven  months 
at  a  time  with  but  slight  packing.  I  once  had  a  re- 
markable experience  with  a  lot  from  Kelway,  England. 
They  came  over  in  reasonable  time,  but  were  delayed 
in  a  warm  office  at  Lincoln,  'Neh.,  a  month  before  T 
was  notified.  The  box  was  dried  out  and  full  of  cracks, 
and  the  moss  was  dry  as  powder.  The  roots  were  black, 
and  snapped  like  sticks.  The  buds  were  shriveled. 
I  had  the  expressman  look  them  over,  and  all  pro- 
nounced them  dead.  There  were  thirty  roots,  some  of 
which  cost  $2.50  each.  Of  course  the  express  com- 
pany had  to  pay  damages.  Taking  them  home  about 
the  first  of  November,  I  cut  off  the  dead  roots  and 
planted  the  buds  in  moist  earth  in  a  box  in  the  cellar. 
At  the  end  of  a  month  the  buds  began  to  swell.  De- 
cember 1st,  they  were  planted  out,  and  were  frozen  all 
winter.  They  all  grew  but  one,  and  one  of  them 
bloomed.  Of  course  it  took  an  extra  year  to  form 
new  roots.  They  seemed  much  like  the  Mexican  resur- 
rection plant. 

They  are  like  the  Eocky  Mountain  burro  that  bears 
any   amount   of  misuse   or  neglect,   and  yet   patiently 


182  THE    GOLD    MINE 

plods  along.  Often  for  years  they  must  bear  neglect 
in  grass,  or  the  hard  earth  tramped  solid  about  them. 
And  yet  they  hang  on,  doing  the  best  they  can.  Yet 
while  they  patiently  endure  so  much,  there  is  nothing 
that  responds  with  more  grateful  alacrity  to  generous 
treatment.  A  neighbor  had  an  Alba  Sulphuria,  which 
had  bloomed  in  utter  neglect  for  twenty-five  years.  I 
bought  the  clump,  he  retaining  a  couple  of  roots.  He 
planted  his  in  the  grass  and  hard  earth,  digging  but 
a  little  space  for  them.  In  four  years  they  have  not 
bloomed  or  grown.  They  could  not.  They  could  only 
live.  I  planted  my  part  in.  the  richest  ground,  and 
how  they  increased  and  blossomed.  In  about  four 
years  I  had  nearly  one  hundred  plants. 

All  the  great  West  and  E"orthwest  are  well  adapted 
to  them,  and,  it  should  be  a  rnatter  of  encouragement 
that  the  finest  flower  that  blooms  will  give  its  cheer 
to  a  vast  region  VN^here  other  flowers  cannot  grow.  They 
are  hardier  than  the  pieplant.  We  pay  out  millions 
for  choice  roses,  and  other  things  which  cannot  endure 
our  winters.  It  is  much  better  to  plant  an  absolute 
success  than  a  sure  failure. 


Possessed  of  sn  marvelous  patience,  this  plant  will 
often  bide  its  time,  and  seem  dead,  when  it  is  only  gath- 
ering its  forces  for  a  vigorous  push. 

One  fall  I  planted  quite  a  row  of  the  splendid  Prin- 
ceps.  l^exi  spring  not  one  of  them  came  up,  nor  did 
they  show  any  signs  of  life  during  the  summer.     I  was 


IN  THE  FRONT   YARD.  183 

preparing  to  use  the  ground  for  sometliing  else,  when, 
after  lying  dormant  for  eighteen  months,  the  whole 
row  pushed  up'  and  commenced  a  vigorous  growth. 

When  you  dig  a  lot  from  the  gTound,  there  will 
be  many  spring  up  the  first  year,  and  often  more  will 
show  the  second  year,  having  taken  so  long  a  time 
to  form  a  head.  It  is  my  custom  in  cutting  up,  to  re- 
plant the  same  row  to  the  same  kind,  to  avoid  any 
mixture,  and  if  I  cannot  do  this  I  am  careful  to  plant 
between  where  the  rows  were,  so  the  strays  will  not 
come  up  in  the  same  row  with  those  I  am  planting, 
but  between  them. 

THOROUGHBRED  LIVE  STOCK  AND  THOROUGHBRED 
FLOWERS. 

I  used  to  keep  thoroughbred  Jerseys  and  Shorthorns. 
Though  I  enjoyed  it  they  were  a  constant  care.  One 
nidit  I  was  awakened  bv  a  fearful  crash.  I  wakened 
the  boys  and  told  them  to  bring  the  lanterns.  Bush- 
ing out,  I  saw  in  the  barn  two  balls  of  fire.  They  be- 
longed to  the  Shorthorn.  He  weighed  a  ton,  and  ev- 
ery pound  of  him  was  in  fighting  trim.  Aiming  a 
pitchfork  a  suitable  distance  below  those  blazing  orbs, 
I  caught  him  in  the  nose.  Then  the  lights  came.  We 
secured  him  and  led  him  back  to  his  stall.  It  seemed 
the  Jersey  got  loose  and  thought  it  a  good  time  to  take 
revenge.  The  Shorthorn  tore  himself  loose,  drove  the 
Jersey  back  to  his  stall,  and,  with  one  tremendous 
thrust,  hurled  him  through  the  side  of  the  barn.  I 
was  younger  then,  but  I  don't  want  any  more.     I  have 


184  THE   GOLD    MINE 

seen  men  who  had  built  up  a  fine,  choice  herd  of  hogs ; 
then  came  the  cholera  and  wiped  them  out.  Beautiful 
flocks  of  fowls  melt  away  with  disease,  become  the  prey 
of  sneaking  beasts  or  the  chicken  thief. 

It  is  different  with  thoroughbred  Paeonies.  They 
do  not  tear  themselves  in  wire  fences.  You  know  where 
they  are  nights.  They  do  not  eat  their  heads  off  in 
winter.  The  food  costs  nothing.  You  can  go  off  on 
your  summer  vacation,  and  they  will  be  there  when 
you  come  back.  They  multiply  as  fast  as  live  stock. 
There  is  more  money  in  them,  legitimate,  honest  gain. 
Sixteen  years  ago  a  man  laid  out  $50  for  choice  strains. 
For  some  time  he  has  been  selling  $1,000  worth  a  year. 

I  bought  a  fine  plant  for  $1.  In  five  j-ears  I  sold 
$18  worth,  and  had  eighteen  roots  left.  One  choice 
variety  in  the  same  length  of  time  brought  in  $34,  and 
I  had  fifteen  roots  left.  One  fall  I  had  an  order  for 
500  common  mixed  sorts  for  $6  per  100.  It  took  but 
a  small  piece  of  ground  to  furnish  them.  My  man, 
who  had  worked  on  the  farm,  was  astonished.  ''Here," 
said  he,  "we  have  dug  $30  from  a  few  rods  of  ground, 
and  if  we  got  that  from  two  acres  of  farm  land  we 
would  do  w^ell.'^ 

Is  Paeony  raising  a  fad,  that  will  soon  pass  away  ? 
It  cannot  pass;  people  will  not  allow  it.  In  staid  old 
Europe  the  interest  has  fairly  commenced.  In  our 
Eastern  states,  where  they  can  raise  Azaleas,  Kalmias 
and  Rhododendrons,  the  demand  is  on  the  increase. 
Most  of  the  stock  of  Western  growers  yet  goes  East. 
In  the  West  we  cannot  raise  the  flowers  above  men- 


IN   THE   FRONT   YARD.  187 

tioned.  They  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  us.  Thej 
are  aristocratic  Easterners  that  will  die  before  they 
will  live  with  us.  I  thought  our  hot  suns  and  drying- 
winds  too  much,  so  I  got  1,000  of  the  hardiest  kinds 
I  could  hear  of,  and  put  them  under  a  screen.  Kal- 
mias,  Azaleas,  Rhododendrons,  all  died  in  a  year,  de- 
spite the  tenderest  care.  Do  you  wonder  that  we  love 
a  flower  that  will  step  in  and  take  their  places,  one 
that  never  grumbles  or  pines,  and  is  never  homesick, 
that  is  more  fragrant  and  lovely  than  the  best  of  them  ? 
I  have  attended  some  of  the  most  famous  flower  shows 
of  the  East,  and  here  in  E'ebraska  we  can  raise  as  fine 
Paeonies  as  anywhere  on  earth.  We  plant  roses,  and 
they  kill  down  and  dwindle  away,  but  the  Paeonj^  stays 
by,  us.  Millions  are  needed  for  our  Western  states. 
Billions  are  needed  for  the  Dakotas,  Minnesota  and 
Manitoba,  where  they  do  as  well  as  in  England.  When 
the  finest  flowers  on  earth  are  fitted  for  such  a  vast 
empire,  and  they  will  grow  and  thrive  where  other 
things  will  not,  you  can  depend  on  them. 

Talk  about  Ginseng  for  profit!  Go  to  raising  Pae- 
onies. This  is  work  for  ladies.  Already  many  are 
going  into  it.  There  is  much  less  care  and  expense 
than  in  raising  chickens,  though  as  light  work  the  two 
go  together.  The  hen  is  mightier  than  the  sword. 
She  seems  insignificant,  yet  her  produce  and  progeny 
every  year  are  greater  than  the  output  of  all  the  gold 
mines,  and  the  more  eggs  and  chickens  you  raise,  the 
higher  they  get.  The  two  enterprises  are  in  woman's 
realm.     Mrs.  Pleas,  of  Indiana,  has  raised  some  fine 


188  THE   GOLD    MINE 

new  sorts.  One  she  sold  for  $100,  and  another  for 
$150,  besides  having  thousands  of  dollars'  worth  of 
enjoyment  from  her  floral  friends. 

When  you  take  into  consideration  the  growing  value 
of  cut  ftowers,  you  have  three  harvests  from  your  Pae- 
ony  bed,  one  in  the  spring,  the  blossoms  in  summer, 
and  again  root  sales  in  the  autumn.  This  delightful 
and  profitable  employment,  together  with  the  fascina- 
tion of  raising  new  kinds  from  seed,  will  give  a  zest  and 
joy  to  living  which  cannot  be  found  in  any  indoor  em- 
ployment. There  is  the  delight  of  seeing  a  transform- 
ation going  on,  the  brown  earth  putting  on  robes  of 
beauty  while  you  are  calling  forms  of  loveliness  out 
of  the  unseen,  taking  the  rainbow  and  moulding  into 
shapes  of  wondrous  fascination. 

ADAPTATION. 

The  Moutan  or  Tree  Paeony  does  remarkably  well 
in  England  and  in  our  Atlantic  States.  It  blooms 
grandly  and  grows  to  be  quite  a  bush.  I  have  grown 
them  in  'JSTebraska  for  more  than  fifteen  years,  and  find 
them  very  shy  bloomers.  They  will  grow  and  increase 
all  right,  but  I  think  the  buds  are  sensitive  to  our  try- 
ing climate.  It  is  possible  these  will  do  well  where 
the  herbaceous  ones  are  not  satisfactory.  I  think,  as 
you  go  south  into  the  Gulf  States,  especially  into  the 
sandy  soils,  the  Chinensis  will  not  be  satisfactory,  and 
perhaps  those  regions  will  be  just  the  place  for  the 
Moutan. 


IN   THE   FRONT  YARD.  189 

I  understand  they  can  be  used  successfully  for  forc- 
ing, and  think  this  would  be  feasible.  The  trouble 
with  those  grown  out  doors  is  supposed  to  be  the  se- 
vere spring  frosts.  This  difficulty  would  be  obviated 
by  bringing  them  into  the  greenhouse.  In  those  sec- 
tions where  you  can  depend  on  them,  the  blossoms  are 
of  resplendent  beauty,  some  of  the  newer  sorts  almost 
as  large  as  a  dinner  plate. 

They  are  usually  propagated  by  putting  a  slip  into 
the  fleshy  root  of  the  herbaceous  kinds.  It  will  use 
this  for  a  time  and  then  discard  it  for  its  own.  The 
stools  can  be  readily  separated,  and  if  you  wish  to  in- 
crease faster,  graft  the  tops  on  their  own  roots  much 
as  the  nurseryman  does  his  young  apple  trees,  using 
the  lip  or  splice  graft.  Care  must  be  taken,  however, 
to  let  them  knit  well  before  planting  out.  But  if  you 
have  patience  you  can  wait  for  the  root  division. 

The  Tenuifolia  are  the  earliest  of  all.  They  are 
single  and  double.  They  are  not  quite  as  hardy  as 
the  Chinensis,  as  they  need  mulching  in  the  West  in 
winter,  where  the  cold  will  be  excessive  and  sometimes 
there  will  be  no  snow\  I  have  had  them  bloom  as  early 
as  May  5th.  The  blossom  is  like  a  rose,  seated  in  that 
delicate,  soft,  fern-like  foliage.  The  only  drawback 
is,  it  is  not  fragrant.  Yet  it  has  an  important  place 
to  fill. 

The  Officianalis  is  the  ^'piny"  of  our  mothers.  I 
remember  with  a  shudder  the  steeping  of  the  ''piny 
toes"  for  the  ills  of  childhood.  For  years  I  looked 
with  contempt  on  the  whole  family  on  account  of  the 


190  THE    GOLD    MINE 

rank  and  disagreeable  odors  wliich  came  down  out  of 
the  past.  Tliougli  this  has  been  one  of  the  mothers  of 
the  new  and  fragrant  race,  yet  much  of  the  indifference 
regarding  the  modern  flower  dates  back  to  the  mem- 
ory of  the  sickening  odor,  so  indelibly  impressed  on 
childhood. 

Again,  they  are  not  hardy  in  the  West  and  N'orth- 
west.  Thousands  have  planted  them  and  failed,  and 
think  the  whole  family  a  fraud.  We  get  letters  from 
Minnesota,  telling  of  failures,  and  in  every  instance 
you  trace  it  back  to  the  same  old  "piny."  Six  years 
ago  I  planted  a  dozen  good,  strong  roots.  The  first 
winter  eleven  of  them  died,  and  it  took  the  survivor 
six  years  to  furnish  one  bloom.  'No  wonder,  when  peo- 
ple judge  from  these,  that  they  are  prejudiced  against 
the  whole.  The  Officinalis  multiplies  slowly.  Others, 
beside  this  lone  one,  have  blossomed  gloriously  and  in- 
creased rapidly. 

•  I  know  there  are  clumps  here  and  there  in  !N^ebraska, 
and  when  once  established  and  not  disturbed,  they 
give  early  blossoms,  following  hard  on  the  Tenuifolia. 
Both  these  kinds  have  an  entirely  different  system  of 
roots  from  the  Chinensis, — something  like  clumps  of 
sweet  potatoes.  In  separating  them,  as  in  case  of  the 
dahlia,  you  must  have  a  bud  go  with  the  root.  So 
please  bear  in  mind,  if  you  live  in  the  bleak  ISTorth- 
west,  that  you  are  never  to  order  the  Officinalis. 


The  Festiva  Maxima. 


IN   THE  FRONT   YARD.  193 

CHANGES   OF  SOIL  AND  CLIMATE. 

Some  kinds  are  more  sensitive  to  their  conditions 
than  others.  Many  varieties  of  fruits  which  do  well 
in  one  locality  are  worthless  in  others.  Some  of  these 
flowers  will  do  hetter  in  certain,  soils  and  climates  than 
others.  Baroness  Schroder  is  called  flesh  colored  in 
England.  In  Massachusetts,  sometimes,  instead  of  be- 
ing pure  white  it  has  a  grayish  tint.  In  ^N'ebraska  it 
is  of  snowy  white,  and  one  of  the  most  perfect  flowers 
that  ever  bloomed. 

Charlemagne  is  called  an  enormous  flower  in  Roches- 
ter, but  it  has  been  something  of  a  disappointment  in 
other  locations.  We  must  not  condemn  a  variety  as 
a  fraud  if  it  does  not  meet  our  expectations,  for  it  may 
be  a  success  elsewhere.  While  we  say  this,  there  is 
probably  no  flower  that  does  so  well  under  varied  con- 
ditions. Difference  in  soil  will  have  something  to  do 
with  it.  Of  course  it  cannot  do  as  well  in  light  sand  or 
stiff  clay  as  in  the  rich  loam  of  the  West. 

For  instance,  some  apples  which  do  well  in  the  East 
are  of  no  account  in  the  West.  It  is  so  with  all  kinds 
of  hardy  fruits.  So  we  must  give  a  little  chance  for 
the  Paeony  to  show  its  preferences.  Giganthea  is  a 
fine,  early  pink,  producing  an  enormous  flower.  It  is 
popular  and  satisfactory  in  the  Atlantic  States.  Test- 
ing it  three  or  four  years,  it  does  not  come  up  to  its 
Eastern  standard.  A  large  single  one  said  to  be  nine 
inches  across  and  a  splendid  flower  in  Indiana  has  ab- 
solutely done  nothing  for  five  years  in  ISTebraska.     It 


194  THE   GOLD    MINE 

may  rally  in  time.  Generall}^,  Paeonies  will  do  the 
best  tliey  can,  but  some  do  seem  a  little  sensitive  to  their 
conditions. 

MISTAKES  AXD   MIXTUEES. 

There  has  been  no  end  of  trouble  from  these  causes. 
As  we  have  had  no  Paeony  society  till  recently,  we  have 
had  no  check  on  loose  methods.  So  one  name  has  been 
given  to  several  diiferent  sorts.  Often  the  choicer  the 
kind  the  more  substitutes  it  has.  At  least  six  kinds 
have  been  sold  for  Pestiva  Maxima,  and  one  of  our 
best  firms  innocently  sent  out  Grandiflora  Alba  for 
jT-ars  for  this  varietv.  There  has  been  no  end  of  con- 
fusion regarding  the  genuine  Humei  or  Thorbeckii, 
one  of  our  very  best.  I  have  bought  from  many  of  our 
leading  firms  those  bearing  this  name,  which  were  not 
even  distant  relatives  of  it.  It  is  so  with  the  Duke  of 
Wellington. 

Holland   firms   are  notorious  for  their  carelessness. 

I   bought   of  .       They   were   not   what   I    sent 

for.  They  insisted  that  they  were,  when  I  returned 
their  own  labels  and  my  order.  Then  they  were  not 
true  to  name.  About  that  time  I  bought  quite  a  bill 
of  an  American  firm,  and  they  proved  the  worst  mix- 
tures I  ever  saw,  though  they  were  packed  with  the 
greatest  care.     I  notified  them.      They  supposed  they 

were  all  right,  for  they  got  them  of .      So  many 

of  the  Dutch  firms  are  so  unreliable  that  we  are  sure 
of  nothing.  Before  me  lies  a  letter  of  one  of  our  lead- 
ing gTOwers.     He  has  had  no  end  of  vexation.      Such 


IN   THE  FRONT   YARD.  195 

methods  are  in  wide  contrast  to  most  of  our  American 
firms.  Visiting  the  grounds  of  Rosenfield,  I  found  he 
had  the  different  kinds  in  beds  by  themselves,  and  while 
blooming  every  plant  was  watched,  and  if  perchance 
there  was  a  stray,  it  was  marked  with  a  stake. 

A  noted  firm  in  England,  which  has  done  more  to 
bring  this  flower  to  the  front  than  anyone  else,  has 
fallen  into  careless  ways.  So  one  dealer  says,  ^'We  get 
only  the  sweepings  of  their  fields."  This  is  bad,  for 
we  supposed  we  had  a  firm  Ave  coukl  absolutely  depend 
on.  Their' prices  were  very  high,  but  we  did  not  care 
so  much  for  that,  provided  we  got  pure  stock.  Some 
time  ago  I  sent  for  Iavo  roots  of  Lady  Alexander  Duff, 
supposed  to  be  the  best  Paeony  on  earth.  They  were 
five  dollars  a  root.  I  watched  them  grow,  and  had  my 
friends  look  at  those  plants  which  were  to  surprise  us 
with  the  grandeur  of  their  bloom.  When  the  flowers 
opened  we  looked  on  in  a  daze  of  expectancy,  when  lo, 
they  showed  us  some  inferior  single  blossoms,  on  stems 
about  a  foot  high.  They  were  very  short  lived,  the 
petals  falling  in  two  days,  along  with  our  expectations. 
They  were  just  fair  10-cent  plants.  When  I  ordered, 
I  charged  them  to  return  the  money  if  they  did  not 
have  the  genuine  plants. 

What  is  the  lesson  from  all  this  ?  Patronize  Amer- 
ican growers.  They  are  responsible.  They  keep  as  good 
kinds  as  the  world  produces,  and  will  gladly  correct 
mistakes.  They  do  not  hide  behind  an  ocean.  We 
must  o-o  to  raising  new  varieties  on  a  large  scale.     Our 


196  THE   GOLD    MINE 

growers  have  now  hundredsj  soon  to  go  on  the  market, 
as  fine  as  we  import. 

DIFFICULTIES. 

Where  one  has  several  hundred  varieties  it  is  hard 
to  keep  the  stakes  all  right.  The  weather  will  wear  off 
the  names  in  a  few  months,  and  they  must  be  re-marked 
with  care.  Sometimes  the  stakes  will  be  broken  down. 
Perhaps  an  inquisitive  visitor  may  pull  one  up  to  read 
the  name  and  set  it  back  facing  the  wrong  way.  So, 
with  the  greatest  care,  mistakes  are  inevitable.  I  have 
bought  of  the  leading  firms  of  America  and  Europe, 
and  have  never  yet  found  one  which  did  not  have 
more  or  less  mixtures.  Of  course,  among  the  most  care- 
ful, the  strays  would  be  insignificant.  Anything  seri- 
ous, of  course,  is  corrected  as  soon  as  possible.  This 
goes  to  show  that  very  few  of  us  are  infallible.  One- 
of  our  western  growers  was  sick,  and  hired  a  man  to 
plow  out  his  plants,  and  he,  like  a  ^Svild  bull  in  a  china 
shop,"  knocked  down  most  of  the  stakes,  so  the  plants 
had  to  be  sold  as  a  mixed  lot. 

THE   PKOPER  WAY. 

is  to  wait  till  the  plants  bloom  before  stock  is  put  on  the 
market,  unless  you  have  it  from  some  reliable  firm.  If 
mistakes  occur,  rectify  them  as  soon  as  possible.  I  find 
the  best  way  is  to  have  good,  strong  stakes,  at  least  two 
feet  tall,  painted,  with  the  bottoms  dipped  in  coal  tar. 
I  know  one  dealer  who  received  a  very  abusive  letter 
from  a  purchaser  who  bought  two  years  before,   and 


IN   THE  FRONT   YARD.  197 

claimed  that  in  quite  a  bill  thej  were  all  spurious,  and 
he  wished  he  could  find  an  honest  man  to  deal  with. 

Tlie  dealer  replied  he  supposed  he  had  received  the 
stock  from  a  reliable  firm,  and  was  sorry  for  the  dis- 
appointment. He  told  his  customer  he  could  not  afford 
to  and  would  not  receive  any  more  such  letters,  and 
he  immediately  packed  and  sent  quite  a  bill  of  choice 
varieties  which  he  had  tested,  amounting  to  twice  as 
much  as  the  original  bill.  Of  course  confidence  was 
established  after  that. 

I^ever  denounce  a  man  till  you  have  given  him  a 
chance  to  rectify  mistakes.  I  have  bought  certain 
kinds  from  four  different  dealers  and  every  one  of  them 
were  different,  though  the  dealers  may  have  been 
honest.  You  might  send  to  three  men  for  Queen  Vic- 
toria and  each  would  give  you  a  different  kind,  and 
honestly,  too,  for  there  are  three  bearing  that  name. 

KEEPING  THE   PAEONIES  BACK  IN  THE  SPUING  FOR 
SELLING. - 

We  do  not  all  of  us  have  cold  storage,  and  unless  very 
cold,  they  will  start,  if  kept  moist,  at  a  very  low  tem- 
perature. I  have  kept  boxes  of  Paeonies  frozen,  and 
as  soon  as  the  frost  was  out  they  began  growing.  It 
will  not  do  to  leave  them  in  the  field  if  we  expect  to 
sell  them,  for  buds  grow  rapidly  and  are  very  tender, 
and  often  orders  come  in  when  the  plants  are  two  feet 
tall.     Of  course  it  is  not  a  good  time  to  plant,  yet  ens- 


198  THE    GOLD    MINE 

tomers  want  them  as  late  as  May,  and  are  disappointed 
if  they  cannot  get  them. 

It  is  very  easy  to  keep  them  back.  Instead  of  pack- 
ing them  in  wet  moss,  which  would  bring  them  forward 
immediately,  keep  them  cool  and  dry ;  even  if  wilted  a 
little  it  will  not  hnrt  them.  One  spring  I  received  a 
lot  from  France.  They  came  late,  and  were  packed 
dry  in  an  open  basket.  They  were  badly  wilted. 
Placing  them  in  water  a  short  time  revived  them. 
They  lived  and  grew,  and  some  of  them  bloomed  the 
same  season.  Of  course  it  is  not  necessary  to  keep  them 
very  dry.  They  can  be  placed  on  a  rack,  like  cannas 
or  dahlias. 

LATE   BLOOMIISTG. 

If  you  wish  to  continue  the  flowering  season  into 
July,  take  large  roots  with  plenty  of  buds,  and  keep 
them  partially  dry,  as  noted  above,  or  in  cold  storage, 
and  plant  out  from  the  middle  of  May  till  the  first  of 
June.  But  there  may  be  this  trouble  about  July 
blooms:  In  Kansas  and  !N"ebraska  the  sun  gets  very 
hot,  and  delicate  flowers  might  have  the  sun  scald.  I 
have  seen  this  sometimes  in  the  case  of  Madam  Chaumy, 
which  is  a  large,  late  and  very  beautiful  flower;  also 
with  Richardson's  Perfection.  Where  there  is  any 
danger,  set  up  stakes  and  stretch  gunny  sacking  over 
them.  It  is  well  to  plant  those  for  late  flowering  in 
groups,  so  they  can  be  easily  protected. 


IN   THE  FRONT   YARD.  199 

IN    PLANTING^    THE     CONDITION    OF    THE     BUD    MUST     BE 
TAKEN  INTO  ACCOUNT. 

This  is  very  important.  Tlie  Paeony  usually  goes 
into  a  dormant  condition  about  the  middle  of  August. 
I  have  had  excellent  success  in  planting  at  that  time, 
for  the  buds  that  form  for  the  next  spring  are  small  and 
tough,  and  they  can  be  handled  Avithout  danger  of  in- 
juring them.  As  a  general  thing,  however,  Septem- 
ber is  the  best  time,  for  if  very  hot  in  AugTist  it  will 
not  do  to  ship.  If  packed  too  moist  they  might  rot. 
When  planted  at  this  time  little  rootlets  begin  to  grow 
and  the  plant  is  all  ready  for  its  spring  growth.  You 
will  notice  that  those  left  in  the  ground  and  apparently 
dormant  are  making  a  fine  growth  of  fibrous  rootlets, 
and  the  longer  they  are  left  the  more  numerous  they  will 
be.  The  buds  are  growing  too,  and  often  old  roots  will 
have  a  net  of  rootlets  around  them,  and  the  buds  will  be 
much  larger  and  more  liable  to  damage  than  if  planted 
earlier.  Of  course  Paeonies  can  be  planted  any  time 
from  the  first  of  September  till  the  middle  of  the  fol- 
lowing May;  but  we  are  speaking  of  the  best  time. 
I  have  often  planted  strong,  left  over  roots  from  the 
first  to  the  middle  of  May,  and  if  the  ground  is  rich 
and  in  the  best  condition,  have  cut  good  crops  of  flowers 
from  them  a  few  weeks  after  planting. 

There  are  various  ways  of  lengthening  the  flowering 
season.  A  lady  had  occasion  to  dig  a  cellar,  and  eight- 
een inches  of  dirt  were  thrown  over  a  strong  clump. 
She  supposed  of  course  they  were  dead,  but  two  weeks 


200  THE   GOLD    MINE 

after  the  rest  were  up  these  came  on,  blooming  so  much 
later  than  the  rest.  It  would  not  do  to  try  this,  save 
on  strong,  well  established  clumps.  I  have  heard 
that  mowing  off  the  tops  when  they  are  a  few  inches 
high  would  retard  them,  but  never  wished  to  try  it. 

This  plan  works  well:  Suppose  you  have  a  row  ten 
•rods  long.  At  one  end  you  have  no  mulching;  then 
you  put  on  a  little,  increasing  it  till  you  put  it  on  a 
foot  deep  at  the  farther  end.  The  covering  should  be 
put  on  when  the  ground  is  frozen  solid.  You  will  note 
quite  a  difference  in  the  same  row  in  the  time  of  bloom- 
ing. On  the  other  hand,  up  in  Minnesota,  some  Pae- 
onies  that  were  not  mulched  were  very  late  in  coming 
up,  after  a  severe  winter.  What  was  the  trouble  ?  One 
fall  in  that  state  T  had  occasion  to  dig  up  a  large  clump, 
to  transplant  for  a  friend.  The  previous  winter  had 
been  bare  of  snow,  and  very  cold.  I  found  that  the 
exposed  buds  had  all  been  killed.  But  the  plants  would 
not  give  up.  They  had  absolutely  formed  new  buds, 
and  of  course  that  took  time.  Though  as  far  north  as 
Manitoba  they  come  out  all  right  with  just  a  snow 
mulching,  yet  it  is  much  safer  to  put  on  a  covering, 
because  some  seasons  the  snow  may  be  light.  When 
I  can  do  so  I  mulch  in  this  latitude.  It  is  not  neces- 
sary for  root  protection,  and  yet  a  good  coat  of  manure 
pays.  Many  are  at  the  trouble  of  using  liquid  manure ; 
but  if  you  have  plenty  on  the  ground,  every  rain  will  do 
the  work  for  you,  and  if  it  is  dry,  irrigation  will  serve 
the  same  purpose. 


IN  THE  FRONT  YARD.  201 

NON-BLOOMING    PAEONIES. 

The  following  is  such  a  characteristic  letter  that  I 
insert  it  here.  It  is  a  sample  of  the  scores  of  inquiries 
that  come  to  me  along  the  same  line : 

"Mr.  Harrison : — What  is  the  matter  with  my  Paeo- 
nies  ?  They  will  not  bloom.  I  surely  paid  enough  for 
them,— a  dollar  for  six.  I  have  had  them  five  years, 
and  only  one  bloom  all  this  time,  and  that  a  little,  infe- 
rior thing.  I  bought  them  for  different  kinds,  but 
from  the  looks  of  the  foliage  I  believe  they  are  all  one 
kind,  and  I  guess  they  are  afraid  to  bloom,  because  of 
the  deception.  The  most  aggravating  thing  is,  my 
neighbor  has  some  of  the  most  beautiful  ones  I  ever 
saw.  They  are  loaded  with  the  choicest  flowers  every 
season.  I  have  had  manure  spaded  around  mine,  and 
have  mulched  them  in  winter,  with  no  result  save  great 
clumps  of  leaves.  What  shall  I  do,  and  what  is  the 
trouble  V 

ANSWER. 

''My  Dear  Woman : — I  am  afraid  you  have  been  pat- 
ronizing the  'bargain  counter.'  If  you  paid  only  one 
dollar  for  six  plants,  you  could  not  expect  to  get  good 
ones.  You  have  what  you  bought,  a  cheap  lot.  What 
will  you  do  with  them  ?  Dig  them  up  and  throw  them 
away.  Be  sure  you  dig  deep  enough  to  get  out  all  the 
roots  so  you  will  not  hear  from  them  again.  You 
have  probably  been  insisting  that  a  "piny  was  a  piny," 
and  that  was  all  there  was  of  it.  ISTow  you  see  your 
mistake.     There  are  thoroughbreds  in  flowers  as  well 


202  THE   GOLD    MINE 

as  in  cattle.  A  $15  scrub  cow  bears  no  comparison  with 
a  choice,  thoroughbred  Jersey,  which  costs  ten  times  as 
much. 

^'Think  what  economy  there  would  have  been  in  start- 
ing right.  Had  you  bought  one  glorious  Festiva  Maxi- 
ma with  your  dollar  you  would  have  had  blooms  worth 
while,  and  fifteen  or  twenty  good  roots  by  this  time. 
You  might  have  bought  the  beautiful  I'Esperence  or 
Andre  Laures  for  50  cents  each,  and  had  early  and  late 
blooms,  and  a  wholesale  lot  of  them.  Your  experience 
was  worth  all  you  paid  for  your  worthless  roots,  and 
remember  there  are  many  dealers  who  keep  just  that 
kind  of  stock  for  just  such  customers.  It  pays  to  get 
the  best.  We  have  several  that  cost  $2.50  a  root,  whole- 
sale, in  England,  and  some  that  cost  $5  a  root;  but  it 
pays.'' 

Is  it  not  strange,  that  in  fitting  up  a  home,  one  is  so 
lavish  on  the  furnishings  and  so  parsimonious  on  the 
outside  adornment?  I  have  known  a  man  with  large 
and  beautiful  grounds  and  a  home  that  cost  thousands, 
to  throw  up  his  hands  in  horror  at  having  to  pay  $40 
for  choice  trees,  shrubs  and  flowers  for  the  lawn.  You 
build  a  costly  house,  and  the  moment  you  enter  it,  it 
begins  to  depreciate  in  value.  You  fill  your  yard  with 
choice  things,  and  they  begin  to  increase.  There  is  a 
gold  mine  there.  Work  it,  and  you  will  be  rich  in  the 
beauty  it  gives.  Don't  be  content  with  a  single  flower. 
Get  masses  of  them. 

I  look  out  on  thousands  of  glorious  columbines,  ming- 
ling their  beauty ;  hundreds  of  the  oriental  poppies,  that 


IN   THE   FRONT  YARD.  203 

blaze  in  their  splendor ;  a  host  of  gaillardias,  that  are 
always  in  bloom,  from  June  till  I^ovember;  and  there 
are  5,000  phloxes  vieing  with  each  other.  Why  not 
be  generous  Avith  yourself  out  of  doors  as  well  as  in  the 
house  ?  If  you  were  furnishing  a  new  home,  you  Avould 
not  go  to  a  second  hand  store  and  get  old  rag  carpets  be^ 
cause  they  Avere  cheap,  and  rickety  chairs  and  other 
furniture,  AA-ith  a  lot  of  old  bedsteads. 

In  fixing  up  your  front  yard,  Avliy  not  haA^e  the  best, 
and  plenty  of  it?  A  25  cent  Paeony  does  not  match 
that  fine  parlor  set,  and  a  lone  floAver  or  tAvo  Avill  look 
cheap  compared  AA^th  the  $50  rug.  It  is  much  better 
to  put  less  in  the  house,  and  more  on  the  outside,  where 
it  Avill  groAv  in  A^alue,  Avliile  the  house  and  everything 
in  it  begins  to  deteriorate  as  soon  as  you  enter  it. 

CUT  FLOWERS. 

More  and  more  choice  floAvers  are  groAving  in  favor. 
It  is  amazing  hoAv  great  the  demand  is  for  roses,  carna- 
tions, lilies  and  others.  The  Paeony  stands  among  the 
best.  Properly  handled,  it  keeps  a  long  time.  They 
should  be  cut  in  the  cA-ening,  just  as  the  buds  begin  to 
open.  Use  a  long  stem.  Strip  off  the  lower  leaA^es  and 
put  the  stems  in  Avater  over  night.  They  absorb  mois- 
ture enough  to  feed  the  flowers  and  keep  them  from  Avilt- 
ing.  These  are  carefully  packed  in  a  box  and  sent  to 
their  destination.  If  there  are  too  many  in  the  box 
and  the  floAvers  are  Avet  they  Avill  heat  in  a  few  hours. 
In  Avet  Aveather  it  is  hard  to  get  the  remaining  blooms 
and  leaves  dry  enough  to  ship  any  distance.     We  have 


204  THE    GOLD    MINE 

found  the  safest  way  is  to  put  moss  and  oiled  paper 
around  bundles  of  twenty-five,  packing  them  as  care- 
fully as  possible,  and  leaving  the  box  a  little  open. 
When  the  flowers  reach  their  destination  they  are  put 
in  cold  storage,  where  they  are  kept  dormant  till  needed. 
White  flowers  are  much  used  for  weddings  and  funerals. 
When  Mark  Hanna's  youngest  daughter  was  married 
the  house  was  most  beautifully  decorated  with  white 
Paeonies.  There  is  a  great  difference  in  the'  keeping 
qualities  of  these  flowers.  The  single  ones  are  much 
admired  while  growing  in  the  garden,  but  they  are  much 
more  short-lived  than  the  large  double  ones.  Then 
there  are  some  that  grow  old  gracefully,  like  La  Tulipe, 
Baroness  and  Festiva  Maxima.  Others  are  very  dilapi- 
dated and  ugly  in  their  dotage.  Richardson's  Rubra 
Superba  and  Tecumseh  are  fine  keepers.  .  So  is  Grand- 
iflora  Rubra.  The  former  can  be  kept  in  cold  storage 
a  long  time. 

Usually  the  first  flowers  of  a  plant  are  the  best.  If 
you  wait  for  some  to  bloom,  and  then  cut  the  buds  of 
those  that  follow,  you  do  not  get  as  good  specimens.  If 
you  are  shipping,  watch  them  closely,  and  the  first  har- 
vest will  prove  to  be  the  best. 

This  is  the  most  popular  of  all  the  flowers  for  Decora- 
tion Day.  Some  seasons  they  are  then  in  their  full 
glory.  There  is  much  call  in  our  northern  cities  for 
those  raised  further  south.  In  most  of  our  northern 
states  early  bloomers  can  be  secured.  L'Esperence,  a 
lovely,  fragrant,  French  pink,  is  generally  on  time  with 
great  masses  of  bloom.     Florists  should  especially  draw 


By  Courtesy  of  W.  A.  PetersoNj  Chicago. 


IN   THE   FRONT  YARD.  207 

the  attention  of  their  customers  to  these  flowers  for 
decoration,  and  create  a  demand  bv  giving  their  names 
and  cliaracteristics.  I  know  of  one  florist  who  secured 
a  fine  lot  from  Euroj^e,  but  lost  their  names,  and  when 
he  went  to  sell  them  he  called  them  "pinys,"  which  of 
course  recalled  the  rank  odors  of  childhood. 

Let  the  florist  keep  the  finest.  What  rose  can  put 
the  Solftare  to  blush,  or  shame  the  Thorbeckii,  with  its 
cinnamon  fragrance,  its  sumptuous  beauty,  grand  in 
size,  with  its  rich  coloring  varnished   into  its  petals  ? 

CUTTIXG  FROM  XEWLY  PLANTED  ROOTS. 

Where  you  have  strong  roots,  planted  in  the  fall  in 
very  rich  ground,  on  some  varieties  there  will  be  quite 
a  crop  of  flowers.  Some  growers  carefully  nip  off  all 
the  buds  the  first  year,  thinking  it  will  exhaust  the 
})lant.  Others  will  cut  them  close.  We  are  to  remem- 
ber, however,  that  it  is  impossible  foT  a  plant  to  do  its 
liest  the  first  season.  It  takes  three  and  sometimes 
four  years  for  some  varieties  to  show  what  they  can  do. 
I  often  receive  pitiful  letters  from  ladies  who  are  so 
disappointed  that  their  Paeonies  have  not  done  better, 
when  they  had  been  planted  but  a  few  months.  One 
lady,  hearing  this  Manual  was  to  be  published,  hastened 
to  order  it  in  the  hope  that  it  would  throw  some  light 
on  her  trouble.  Inquiring  what  that  was,  we  found 
she  had  j^lanted  some  Paeonies  a  few  months  before  and 
the  foliage  was  not  as  rank,  or  the  flowers  as  large,  as 
those  of  her  neighbors.  An  excellent  remedy  in  such 
cases  is  to  wait. 


208  THE    GOLD    MINE 

Beware  of  cutting  your  flowers  too  close.  I  have 
known  plants  to  be  killed  loy  cutting  off  every  flower 
stem  with  all  the  leaves,  and  others  sadly  injured. 
Don't  be  too  greedy.  Always  leave  some  foliage  to  go 
with  the  plant  through  July  and  August. 

PAEONIES  AND  INSECTS. 

It  is  said  truly  that  these  plants  have  the  fewest  in- 
sect enemies  and  diseases  of  any  of  our  flowers.  Yet 
complaints  come  in  regarding  ants.  These  often  cover 
the  bud,  and  sometimes,  it  is  said,  injure  the  flower. 
What  is  the  reason  for  this  ?  I  once  forced  some  Paeo- 
«iies,  and  had  a  chance  to  watch  them  closely.  I  found 
the  buds  exuded  small  drops  of  purest  honey.  Tasting 
it,  I  could  not  tell  the  difference  between  it  and  the 
genuine  article.  After  that  I  noticed  that  ants  and 
bees  and  all  sweet-loving  insects-  were  very  busy  in 
blooming  time.  Perhaps  it  is  not  generally  known  that 
a  field  of  Paeonies  is  one  of  the  finest  of  all  bee  pastures, 
and  for  weeks  the  air  is  filled  with  the  hum  and  buzz 
of  honey  gatherers.  This  honey  is  what  the  ants  are 
after.  They  are  in  evidence  mostly  before  the  buds 
open.  Sometimes  they  invade  the  flower  for  the  nec- 
tar hidden  there.  The  bee  is  busy  then  mixing  the  pol- 
len, so  that  we  can  have  a  larger  variety.  One  remedy 
is  to  have  more  flowers,  so  the  insects  will  not  concen- 
trate on  the  lonely  few.  Those  who  grow  them  in  quan- 
tities are  never  troubled.  Another  remedy  is  to  put 
an  old  saucer  at  the  base  of  your  plant,  with  syrup  mix- 


IN   THE   FRONT  YARD.  209 

ed  with  a  solution  of  arsenic.  But  as  this  is  hardly 
fair  for  the  bees ;  you  had  better  try  the  first  remedy. 
Perhaps  in  time  people  will  learn  to  plant  in  masses. 
Have  a  few  choice  ones ;  and  then  you  can  always  get 
cheap  ones  that  will  flower,  too,  for  $6  to  $10  per  hun- 
dred.    Flowers  need  company.     They  are  social  things. 

DISEASES. 

While  remarkable  for  robustness  and  health,  yet 
sometimes  when  it  is  very  wet,  the  foliage  will  rust 
badly.  This  was  the  case  in  Nebraska  in  1903.  The 
remedy  is  to  spray  Avith  Bordeaux  Mixture.  I  did  not 
do  this.  It  is  only  a  transient  affair,  and  the  next 
spring  and  summer  I  never  saw  more  vigorous  foliage. 

Eecently  there  has  come  to  us  an  account  of  what  is 
called  the  "drooping  disease."  A  white  mold  forms  on 
the  diseased  stem  and  clings  to  the  root  over  winter. 
The  remedy  is  to  remove  the  stems  and  the  earth  and 
put  fresh  earth  around  the  plant.  Lime  would  prob- 
ably be  of  assistance.  We  know,  nothing  of  this  in  the 
west. 

THE  FIVE  POIXTS  OF  EXCELLENCE. 

A  first-class  Pacony  should  be:  Pirst,  symmetrical 
and  beautiful  in  form;  second,  fragrant;  third,  a  good 
keeper  as  a  flower ;  fourth,  a  prolific  and  ready  bloomer ; 
fifth,  the  plant,  to  be  profitable,  must  be  vigorous,  and 
propagate  readily.  We  have  many  that  score  well  on 
all  these  points. 


210  THE    GOLD    MINE 

MISSION  OF  THE  TOPS. 

It  is  a  wise  provision  of  JSTatiire  that  the  tops  should 
fall  down  and  shelter  the  roots  and  buds  in  winter. 
Thej  make  a  good  covering  in  the  absence  of  other 
mulching.  If  they  grow  in  the  open  the  snow  naturally 
drifts  in,  detained  by  the  fallen  tops,  and  so  you  have 
a  snow  bank  for  additional  protection,  and  also  spring 
irrigation  when  the  snow  thaws.  Yet  in  a  visit  to  one 
of  the  finest  Omaha  cemeteries  I  found  they  mowed 
oif  the  tops,  to  have  the  surface  uniform,  and  to  pre- 
vent the  snow  drifts,  and  the  plants  were  blooming 
beautifully.  This  might  do  in  our  present  cycle  of  wet 
seasons,  but  when  years  of  consecutive  drouth  return, 
it  would  be  better  to  leave  the  tops. 

FEEAKS. 

Though  generally  sedate,  yet  this  flower  is  sometimes 
erratic.  I  just  received  a  severe  censure  from  a  man 
because  his  Rubra  Triumphans,  blooming  a  few  months 
after  planting,  came  singly  instead  of  double.  He 
bought  of  me  because  he  thought  I  would  be  reliable, 
and  he  didn't  buy  any  single  Paeonies,  and  wanted  the 
wrong  righted.  E'ow  this  flower,  as  well  as  many  oth- 
ers, is  ambitious  to  show  bloom  as  soon  as  possible,  and 
not  having  strength  to  produce  a  great,  double  flower, 
gives  a  single  one.  Victoria  Tricolor  will  bloom  any- 
way. If  the  root  is  small  and  out  but  a  few  months 
it  is  bound  to  bloom.  That  seems  to  be  its  mission. 
But  it  always  cuts  the  coat  according  to  the  cloth.     If 


Kblway's   Paeonies. 


IN   THE   FRONT  YARD.  213 

it  has  material  to  make  a  great,  double  flower,  it  will 
gladly  make  it.  If,  however,  it  is  short  of  capital,  it 
will  do  the  best  it  can.  Seedlings  will  often  bloom  single 
for  years,  and  then  turn  double.  We  have  the  record 
of  one  that  blossomed  single  for  twenty  years,  and  then 
bloomed  double.  It  is  not  wise  to  discard  seedlings  till- 
fully  tested.  Absolutely  the  finest  crimson  I  ever  saw 
was  found  in  a  lot  of  rejected  seedlings.  After  a  hard 
freeze  in  spring  some  floAvers  will  refuse  to  bloom  at 
all,  and  others,  damaged  in  the  bud,  may  have  inferior 
blossoms.  Others,  like  Floral  Treasure,  will  do  their 
very  best  after  the  worst  abuse.  Very  often  the  last, 
out  of  season  blooms  of  our  best  double  ones  will  be 
little,  inferior,  single  flowers. 

Do  not  sit  in  harsh  judgment  on  flowers  at  their  flrst 
blooming.  You  can  tell  little  about  them  except  their 
color.  A  white  one  should  not  be  red  or 'crimson.  As 
to  form  and  size,  suspend  judgment.  There  is  such  a 
confusion  in  names.  You  buy  a  genuine  Humei,  an 
M.  Valliant  and  a  Thorbeckii,  and  you  have  one  and 
the  same  flower,  yet  one  of  our  very  finest.  You  get 
Bryant's  Ilumei,  Andre  Laures,  Fragrans,  Fragrant 
Rose  and  Late  Rose,  and  if  you  don't  get  the  same  thing 
every  time,  you  come  very  near  it,  and  all  the  parties 
honest  in  it,  too.  Our  Paeony  society  is  very  busy 
getting  the  tangle  out  of  all  this  confusion. 

AVILL  ANYTHIXG  KILL  PAEONIES  ? 

They  are  called  hardy  as  paving  stones  and  as  tough 
as  Scotch  thistles.      Yes,  it  can  be  done  if  you  know 


214  THE    GOLD    MINE 

how.  Plant  them  in  low,  wet  ground,  where  the  water 
can  stand  on  them,  and  you  will  succeed.  Put  them 
in  wet,  undrained  soil.  Let  the  snow  drift  on  them 
before  the  ground  freezes,  and  then  it  can  be  done.  I 
have  known  some  in  grass  and  weeds  during  three  years 
of  consecutivei  drouth  to  be  absolutely  dried  out  and 
killed.  It  has  been  done  by  driving  over  them  or 
tramping  on  them  till  the  earth  is  like  a  brick  bat.  But 
they  will  stand  all  that  any  plant  can  and  offer  patient 
and  quiet  resistance  as  long  as  possible,  and  let  go  of 
life  reluctantly. 

The  spring  of  1903  gave  them  the  hardest  test  I  ever 
knew,  and  showed  the  diiferent  degrees  of  hardiness. 
April  had  been  prematurely  warm.  There  was  a  pros- 
pect of  very  early  blooming.  The  stalks  were  some  of 
them  two  feet  tall  and  the  buds  were  swelling  rapidly. 
Then  on  the  night  of  the  29th  there  came  a  genuine, 
wintry,  sleet  storm,  and  the  plants  in  that  tender  condi- 
tion were  frozen  solid  in  a  coat  of  ice  for  two  days. 
When  they  thawed  out  they  all  looked  tired,  drooping 
and  water  soaked ;  but  to  our  surprise  a  few  days  after 
they  stood  erect  and  went  right  on  with  their  prepara- 
tion for  blooming  as  though  nothing  had  happened. 
But  I  noticed  that  some  varieties  on  low  ground  took 
such  treatment  to  heart.  After  the  freeze  came  floods. 
Fifteen  inches  of  rain  fell  in  May.  Ground  usually 
well  drained  became  a  quagmire.  Some  kinds  could 
not  endure  it.  The  Duke  of  Wellington  could  survive 
Waterloo,  but  not  such  treatment.  Why  the  name  of 
a  grim,  old  warrior  should  be  given  to  such  a  flower  I 


IN   THE  FRONT  YARD.  215 

cannot  understand.  Little,  delicate  Purity  was  too 
tender  for  such  a  world.  Drop  White  dropped  white, 
and  everything  else.  The  loss  was  not  heavy, — ^just 
enough  to  show  that  they  could  be  killed. 

Right  beside  the  tender  ones  were  La  Tulipe,  Thor- 
beckii,  Alexander  Dumas,  Model  of  Perfection,  Bar- 
oness Schroder  and  fifty  other  sorts.  The  main  planta- 
tion was  in  a  rich,  well-drained  valley,  but  the  railroad 
built  a  bridge,  which  proved  to  be  a  dam,  and  this  gave 
way,  flooding  the  field  four  feet  deep.  So  you  see  what 
they  had  to  go  through.  Sleet  storm  when  near  bloom- 
ing, a  flood  and  three  terrible  hail  storms,  and  yet  there 
was  no  loss  of  plants  in  that  field,  but  a  good  crop  of 
flowers. 

A  GOOD  LIST  FOR  BEGINNERS. 

We  often  receive  letters  asking  for  advice  on  the 
best  kind  to  plant,  something  hardy  and  vigorous,  that 
will  increase  rapidly  and  that  will  bloom  freely.  Vic- 
toria Tricolor,  Peine  Victoria,  Victoria  Modesta,  Thor- 
beckii  or  Genuine  Humei,  I'Esperence,  Edulis  Superba, 
Rubra  Triumphans,  James  Vick,  Andre  Laures,  Late 
Rose,  Grandiflora  Alba,  Compte  de  I^antuel.  These 
should  be  had  at  quite  reasonable  rates;  good,  strong 
roots.  One  need  not  be  entirely  confined  to  this  list 
There  may  be  an  abundance  of  others  as  good. 

WHAT  OF  THE  FUTURE  IN  PAEONY  GROWING  ? 

Evidently  the  cheaper  sorts  will  remain  at  about  the 
same  price,  for  the  number  will  be  swelled  by  rejected 


216  THE    GOLD    MINE 

new  ones.  The  standard  varieties  will  remain  about 
as  they  are,  with  a  slight  advance.  The  new  or  rare 
sorts  of  especial  merit  will  keep  up  at  the  present  high 
rate,  or  even  advance,  for  thousands  of  people  will  be 
found  who  will  have  the  very  best,  and  the  high  priced 
ones  will  be  as  sure  an  investment  as  a  poor  man  can 
make.  An  invalid  lady  can  engage  with  success  in  this 
industry.  If  you  go  into  carnations  or  roses  you  will 
need  costly  green  houses.  If  you  wish  to  raise  Paeo- 
nies,  which  will  be  just  as  profitable,  the  directions  in 
this  book  will  give  you  just  as  good  a  chance  as  the 
millionaire  has.  There  is  probably  no  industry  so  im- 
portant and  profitable  that  can  be  carried  on  with  such 
little  expense  as  this.  You  may  be  poor,  with  only 
a  little  home  and  a  small  garden.  You  have  a  baby 
girl,  and  you  look  forward  to  the  time  when  she  will 
enter  on  womanhood,  and  shudder  as  you  think  she 
will  have  nothing  with  which  to  begin  life.  Buy  a 
genuine  Baroness  Schroder,  or  Lady  Alexander  Duff, 
or  Marguerite  Gerard;  one  good,  strong  root,  and  let 
it  grow,  and  take  care  of  it.  One  thousand  in  ten  years. 
How  many  in  twenty  years  ?  A  thousand  multiplied 
by  a  thousand.  You  would  in  fifteen  years  have  enough 
to  retire  on.  This  is  not  counting  chickens  before  they 
are  hatched.  There  are  no  broken  or  addled  eggs 
among  them,  and  they  will  grow  for  the  poor  man  as 
well  as  the  rich.  ^^The  business  may  be  overdone  in 
twenty  years ;"  then  all  the  flower  business  will  be 
done  for,  and  there  will  be  no  more  call  for  carnations 
or  roses.      Festiva  Maxima  for  more  than  half  a  cen- 


IN   THE  FRONT   YARD.  217 

tury  has  been  on  the  market,  and  the  market  is  hun- 
gry yet,  and  will  be.  If  yon  are  a  young  man  and  have 
a  little  ground,  and  want  to  insure  your  life,  buy  a 
Paeony,  the  best  you  can  hear  of,  or  take  what  you 
would  require  for  your  first  payment  and  purchase  sev- 
eral, and  they  will  take  as  good  care  of  you  as  the 
insurance  companies  could.  These  companies  live  on 
lapses,  and  those  securities  don't  lapse.  Should  you 
die,  you  are  sure  of  what  you  paid  in,  with  compound 
growth,  which  means  compound  interest. 

The  English  say  this  is  the  flower  for  the  "millions 
and  the  millionaire.''  I  think  they  would  grow  better 
for  the  poor  man  than  for  the  rich,  for  he  would  regard 
liis  bed  of  choice  plants  as  his  gold  mine,  and  would 
take  the  best  of  care  of  it.  It  takes  years  to  learn  a 
trade  and  learn  it  well,  a  trade  that  will  lay  up  money 
for  old  age.  It  takes  a  good  deal  of  cash  to  go  into 
business  which  will  bring  in  adequate  returns.  But  it 
takes  but  little  time,  or  cash  either,  to  get  a  few  of 
these  choice  plants,  and  then  love  them  and  care  for 
them.  A  little  capital  invested  in  this  way  can  be  kept 
sacred  for  the  future,  and  insure  comfort  in  old  age. 
There  are  no  doubtful  and  uncertain  board  of  trade  com- 
plications about  the  business.  Set  a  little  aside,  and 
how  much  incidental  enjoyment  you  would  reap  from 
it.  Those  worshipful  flowers  in  queenly  garments  sa- 
luting you,  and  they  are  all  your  own,  and  their  num- 
bers increasing  as  the  years  go  by ;  an  income  from  the 


218  THE    GOLD    MINE 

blossoms  and  a  greater  income  in  the  way  of  princely 
enjoyment.  And  thougli  poor  and  hard  working,  your 
flowers  will  treat  you  as  well  as  if  you  were  rolling  in 
wealth,  swelling  with  pride  and  riding  in  an  automobile. 


CHAPTEK  XVII. 

A  LIST   OF   SOME   OF   THE   LEADING  SORTS. 

In  giving  this  list  we  have  aimed  to  give  some  out  of 
the  2,000  named,  so  the  reader  can  have  an  idea  of 
the  marvelous  variety  in  this  great  family.  The  fra- 
grant ones  have  not  all  been  marked  fragrant.  We 
have  not  always  given  the  names  of  the  originators. 
Most  of  these  we  have  tested  ourselves ;  others  we  have 
taken  from  leading  French,  English  and  American  cata- 
logues. 

It  may  not  be  satisfactory  to  the  connoiseur — prob- 
ably will  not.  The  idea  of  this  book  is  to  introduce  this 
flower  to  the  masses. 

I  confess  we  have  given  some  prominence  to  western 
productions,  because  their  merits  have  not  hitherto  been 
brought  to  light.  Eaising  them  for  years,  side  by  side 
with  imported  ones,  we  feel  they  should  have  a  fuller 
recognition.  All  honor  to  Father  Terry,  now  78  years 
old,  who,  in  a  quiet,  patient  way,  for  over  30  years,  has 
been  hard  at  work,  giving  us  the  best  results  of  his 
persistence  and  skill,  from  which,  as  yet,  he  has  reaped 
but  little  benefit. 

DESCRIPTION  or  OVER  200  CHOICE  KINDS. 

Admiral  Dewey — Guard  petals  deep  rose,  with  cen- 
ter of  pink  and  cream. 


220  THE    GOLD    MINE 

Alice — Blush  rose,  changing  to  white,  center  with 
straw  shadings;  fine  flower. 

Agnese  Marj  Kelway — Guard  petals  of  light  rose, 
yellow  petaloids. 

Andre  Laures^ — Perfect  rose  in  form  and  fragrance. 

Alba  Sulphurea — Fine  white  with  sulphur  center. 

Alexander  Dumas — Mixed  pink,  double  center,  very 
double,  quite  fragrant.  This  is  every  way  satisfactory, 
scoring  the  fine  points  readily. 

Baroness  Schroder — In  England  this  is  called  flesh- 
colored;  in  Massachusetts  it  is  sometimes  grayish 
white;  in  !N'ebraska  it  is  the  purest,  softest  white.  In 
the  central  petals  there  is  the  faintest  lingering  of  gold- 
en tints.  It  is  as  sweet  as  the  rose,  and  in  form  and 
grace  of  outline  surpasses'  any  of  the  rose  family. 
Withal,  it  is  so  fluffy,  sprite-like  and  ethereal,  it  seems 
as  if  it  might  float  aw^ay.  It  is  vigorous,  and  a  ready 
bloomer.  After  it  had  grown  two  years  I  cut  one  root 
into  eight,  and  six  of  these  bloomed  the  next  spring. 
They  are  very  scarce,  and  spurious  kinds  are  put  on  the 
market.  This  exquisitely  beautiful  flower  scores  the 
five  points  easily. 

Beauty's  Queen — Is  a  large  white ;  outer  petals  blush 
rose. 

Bunch  of  Perfume — Full  double,  vivid  rose,  very 
sweetly  scented.  This  does  not  do  as  well  in  the  west, 
probably,  as  in  England. 

Bioni — Guard  petals  light  blush,  with  thread-like 
petals ;  not  as  vigorous  as  we  could  wish,  though  a  love- 
ly flower. 


IN  THE  FRONT  YARD.  221 

Bicolor — Outer  petals  white,  with  rose  tinge;  cream 
center,  fringed;  crimson  blotch  on  center  petals. 

Belle  Hough — Large  flower,  light  crimson,  late  and 
fine. 

Bertha — Brilliant  crimson,  full  double  and  late;  a 
very  satisfactory  flower. 

Belle  of  Crescent — Bright  rose,  free  bloomer,  large 
double,  very  showy. 

Belle  of  York — Large,  flesh-colorod,  a  strong,  robust 
flower,  new. 

Baron  James  de  Kothschild — Semi-double  pink. 

Bridesmaid — Fine,  semi-double,  fragrant,  white. 

Blushing  Maid — One  of  Rosenfield's  latest,  fine  blush 
and  sweetly  perfumed ;  not  yet  fully  tested. 

Canisto — A  large  lovely  flower,  light  flesh  in  color, 
fading  to  white ;  fragrant. 

Carnation — Bright  crimson  outside  petals,  broad  in- 
side finely  fringed,  very  fine.  Grand,  late  bloomer. 
Very  striking  in  appearance. 

Clara  Barton — This  is  one  of  the  earliest.  It  is  of 
purest  white,  like  the  spirit  of  its  namesake.  Its  petals 
are  delicate  and  almost  transparent  in  their  tissue-like 
form,  not  quite  full  double,  but  exceedingly  attractive. 

Crimson  Queen — Both  petals  and  petaloids  are  of  the 
same  deep  color.  It  is  finely  fringed,  but  the  whole 
flower  is  of  that  solid,  intense  coloring. 

Commodore  Dewey — Is  deep,  dark  rose,  of  intense 
color.  It  is  a  large  and  attractive  flower,  one  of  our 
finest  new  ones. 


222  THE    GOLD    MINE 

Col.  Wilder — Is  bright  rose,  very  double,  blooming 
in  clusters. 

Compte  de  Paris — A  vigorous  and  imposing  plant. 
Flower  on  strong  stem.  Guard  petals  pink.  Yel- 
low center.  A  mingling  of  pink,  cream  and  gold  with  a 
dash  of  red. 

Charlemange — Very  large  flowers,  double;,  flesh  white 
center,  tinted  lilac  and  chamois.  This  does  not  always 
sustain  its  reputation,  being,  apparently  sensitive  to  soil 
and  climate. 

Compte  de  j^antuil — Blush  white,  center  tinged  yel- 
loAV.  Having  tested  this  for  years  I  can  commend  it 
for  beauty  of  bloom  and  vigor  of  plant. 

Chrysanthemefolia — Rosy  white  guards,  with  a  deli- 
cate chrysanthemum  folded  in  the  center. 

Comptesse  de  Montalivet — ^Flesh,  fading  to  white. 
Fragrant. 

Cardinal  Richelieu — Solid  red,  no  stamens,  large 
guard,  very  fragrant. 

Carnea  Elegans — Large,  variegated  pink,  rather  light 
color,  with  rose  guard  petals.     A  strong  plant. 

Duke  of  Devonshire — A  very  large  flower  of  striking 
appearance,  crimson  in  color,  with  satiny  finish.  One 
of  Kelway's  best. 

Delicatissime — Very  beautiful,  light  brilliant  crim- 
son. 

Due  de  Wellington — Soft  white,  with  pale,  creamy 
white  center.  Very  lovely,  fine  form.  Plant  not 
strong  and  vigorous. 

Delacheii — Fine,  dark  crimson. 


IN   THE  FRONT  YARD.  223 

Drop  White — Pure  white,  splashed  with  crimson, 
fragrant  and  full  double. 

Double  Decker — Is  a  fragrant  and  beautiful  two- 
storj  flower,  named  Pallas  by  Terry,  the  originator. 
First  it  appears  single;  in  a  day  or  two  another  blos- 
som sits  in  the  lap  of  the  first — a  charming  and  unique 
flower. 

Duchess  of  Orleans — Pale  rose,  with  salmon  center. 

Defiance — Brilliant  crimson,  tall  and  fine.      Single. 

Dr.  Lindley — Large  flower,  tall  and  strong.  Dark 
crimson. 

Ella  Adams — Light  crimson.     Very  attractive. 

Etta — Bright,  satiny,  light  rose.  Strong  grower, 
late  bloomer. 

Euphemia — Flesh  colored,  with  crimson  blotches. 

Excelsior — Dark  crimson,  large,  fine,  symmetrical 
flower,  very  striking  in  appearance. 

Esther — Outside  petals  deep  rose,  inside  Avhite,  rose 
tinted,  a  full  bloomer. 

Edulis  Superba — One  of  t4ie  standard  varieties. 
Shell  pink,  large,  well  formed,  fragrant  flower,  and  a 
very  rapid  multiplier. 

Emperor  of  Russia — A  magnificent,  deep  crimson. 
Very  handsome. 

Edulis  Plena,  or  Albiflora  Plena — White. 

Eclatante — Is  deep  rose. 

Fragrans — There  are  three  that  bear  this  name,  ono 
named  by  Kelway,  a  light  purple;  another  is  solid 
pink,  with  rather  full  petaloids,  all  the  same  color,  and 


224  THE    GOLD    MINE 

yet  another,  Avliicli  is  the  late  rose  Paeony,  nearly,  if 
not  quite,  identical  with  Andre  Laures. 

Francoise  Ortegal — A  striking  French  crimson. 
One  of  the  popular  old  sorts. 

Fulgida — Is  another  purplish  crimson. 

Formosa  Alba — White,  with  cream  center.  Very 
fragi'ant,  and  one  of  our  fine  ones. 

Faust — Is  rosy  white,  large  and  full  double.  An 
exceedingly  attractive  flower. 

Festiva  Maxima — Is  the  queen  of  all.  Almost  with- 
out exception  it  is  placed  at  the  head  of  the  list.  It 
has  every  point  of  excellence.  The  plant  is  one  of  the 
most  robust.  You  can  usually  tell  the  genuine  by  the 
shape  of  the  large  leaves.  This,  we  understand,  was 
introduced  from  Belgium  in  1835,  and  all  this  time  it 
has  been  propagated,  and, it  is  impossible  to  supply  the 
demand.  The  Joliet  Paeony  farm,  one  of  the  largest 
in  the  world,  wholesales  them  at  $1.00  each,  or  $60  per 
100.  I  am  informed  that  the  flowers  bring  $2.00  per 
dozen,  wholesale,  in  Chicago.  The  flower  combines 
great  size  with  wondrous  beauty.  I  have  raised  them 
seven  inches  across,  a  glorious  form  of  purest  w^hite, 
flecked  here  and  there  Avith  crimson,  which  seems  to 
bring  out  the  w^hite  in  clearer  relief.  This  flower  seems 
to  have  reached  the  ultimate,  beyond  which  we  cannot 
go.  It  is  so  full  double  it  seldom,  if  ever,  produces 
seed.  ^Rature.  all  along  the  line  seems  intent  on  repro- 
duction, but  in  a  case  like  this  she  seems  to  say,  ^^I  can 
go  no  further."  This  is  a  good  pattern  to'  work  by. 
Feed  this  grand  flower.     Let  it  do  its  best.     And  the 


IN  THE  FRONT  YARD.  225 

resplendent  form  of  beantj  seems  to  saj,  ^^Beat  this  if 
jou  can.'^  Men  liave  tried  for  seventy  years,  yet  we 
will  keep  on  trying. 

Festiva — Is  fragrant,  pure  Avliite,  globular  in  form. 
A  beautiful  flower. 

Floral  Treasure — This  is  one  of  Rosenfield's,  and  it 
reveals  the  fact  that  we  need  not  always  go  to  Europe 
for  choice  ones.  It  was  first  put  on  the  market  for 
$12.00  per  100,  but  as  soon  as  people  found  out  its  mer- 
its it  shot  up  to  $50.00  per  100,  and  the  supply  was 
short.  It  is  a  splendid  hemisphere  of  fragrant  loveli- 
ness, a  good  keeper,  and  has  a  long,  strong  stem  to  up- 
hold the  splendid  bloom,  which  will  sometimes  be  nearly 
seven  inches  across. 

Fairy  Queen — Is  one  of  Terry's.  Outside  petals 
broad,  inside  fringed,  full  double,  large  flower,  regarded 
by  Mr.  Terry  as  one  of  his  best. 

Fragrantissime — Beautiful  white;  very  fragrant. 

Grandure — A  very  fine,  large,  semidouble  lilac  rose, 
fragrant.  We  have  had  this  several  years.  It  has  pe- 
culiar tints  and  shadings,  which  add  materially  to  the 
attractions  of  a  general  collection. 

Grizzel  Muir — This  is  among  Kelway's  best.  Pure 
Avhite,  good  fonn  and  very  fragrant.  We  are  well 
pleased  with  it. 

Grandiflora — There  are  several  wearing  this  name, 
of  different  colors.  The  most  striking  among  them  is  a 
late,  immense,  full  double  flower,  blush  in  color,  very 
solid  and  compact,  with  a  stem  not  strong  enough  to 
hold  the  immense  weight  of  beauty.     These  should  be 


226  THE    GOLD    MINE 

planted  in  a  mass  and  should  be  sheltered  with  a  screen 
from  the  burning  sun.  This  is  probably  one  of  Richard- 
son's 

Glori  de  Doual — Deep  crimson,  semi-double. 

General  Jacqueminot — Color  like  the  Jack  Hose. 
Large  flower,  fragrant  and  a  good  keeper. 

General  Grant — One  of  Terry's  fine  ones.  An  im- 
mense flower  of  dazzling  red.  The  only  trouble  is  it 
does  not  furnish  stem  strong  enough  for  the  flower. 

General  Sherman — Another  of  Terry's.  A  strong, 
vigorous  grower,  rose  color,  tinged  with  purple.  Late 
bloomer. 

Grovcr  Cleveland  (Tecumseh) — This  in  another  of 
Terry's.  It  is  a  little  freaky.  One  year  it  was  de- 
scribed as  follows  :  ^Tt  is  a  system  of  deep  colored,  rich 
flowers,  packed  and  pressed  together  into  a  shapely  ball 
of  dazzling  red,  the  solidest  of  all.  You  could  almost 
stone  a  dog  with  it.  It  is  one  of  the  best  keepers  we 
have."  Cut  while  the  bud  is  opening,  it  retains  its 
beauty  a  long  time.  Sometimes  it  is  more  open  in  form, 
but  always  a  splendid  flower.  Another  season  it  will 
open  v^ith  a  broader  bloom,  but  wh<atever  form  it  as- 
sumes, it  is  fine. 

Grandiflora  Carnea  Plena — This  is  one  of  our  best, 
and  hard  to  describe.  It  has  pink  guard  petals,  with  a 
mingling  of  many  tints  in  the  center.  It  is  fragrant ; 
globular  and  compact  in  form.  It  gives  a  long  suces- 
sion  of  bloom,  and  the  flowers  are  fine  keepers.  The 
early  ones  grow  lighter  with  age,  and  new  ones  come  on, 
clothed  in  their  showy  tints,  so  that  a  single  row  gives 


IN  THE  FRONT  YARD.  227 

such  a  variety  of  shadings  that  one  might  think  there 
were  several  kinds  in  one  fine  blend  of  loveliness. 

Golden  Harvest — Rosenfield's.  The  more  you  see 
of  this  the  better  you  like  it.  It  is  a  free  bloomer. 
You  can  depend  on  flowers  the  first  spring  after  plant- 
ing, even  in  six  weeks  after  spring  planting.  At  that 
stage  of  development  it  shows  a  center  of  pure  gold. 
The  next  year  it  shows  the  same,  only  more.  In  the 
center  is  a  miniature,  snowy  white  flower,  like  a  con- 
densed Festiva  Maxima,  with  dashes  of  carmine.  The 
next  year  the  whole  plant  seems  to  break  from  all  ante- 
cedents and  give  you  a  wild,  rollicking  prodigality  of 
beauty,  in  blush  and  white,  in  cream  and  gold.  The 
flowers  are  large  and  almost  smother  the  plant,  so  great 
is  their  profusion.  The  bloom  may  not  keep  as  long  as 
some  others,  yet  it  will  score  all  the  points,  as  it  is  very 
fragrant  withal.  This  and  Floral  Treasure  are  Eosen- 
field's  advance  guard.  He  has  fifty  to  one  hundred 
more  in  the  procession,  and  we  can  take  off  our  hats 
as  they  pass  by  and  cheer  for  beauty  and  l^ebraska. 

Golden  Wedding — We  have  long  been  looking  for  a 
pure  golden  flower,  and  here  we  have  it.  It  is  fragrant, 
semi-double,  with  extremely  delicate  bloom,  and  a  very 
attractive  flower.  It  is  a  very  vigorous  plant.  Singles 
and  semi-doubles  do  not  keep  as  long  as  full  doubles. 
This  is  the  only  drawback  to  this  lovely  flower. 

General  Cavignac — Very  fragrant,  rose  pink,  of  solid 
color,  compact  head,  imbricated  with  a  deeper  shade, 
like  a  carnation. 

General  Lawton    (Pleas) — Bright  rose  pink,  edged 


228  THE    GOLD    MINE 

with  white,  often  triple  headed,  which  gives  it  a  mas- 
sive appearance.  It  is  very  robust,  flowers  large  and 
sl'ghtly  fragrant. 

Globosa  Grandiflora — Large,  globe-shaped,  white  and 
very  fragrant. 

Grandiflora  Rosea — Is  a  host  in  itself.  The  enter 
and  center  petals  are  red.  It  is  slightly  fragrant.  It 
is  a  very  prolific  bloomer,  robust  and  vigorous.  The 
flowers  turn  lighter  in  a  few  days,  and  remain  on  the 
stem  a  long  time.  Looking  at  the  bed  you  would  say 
there  were  several  kinds.  In  this  respect  it  is  much 
like  the  ^"^Seven  Sisters"  among  the  roses. 

Grandiflora  Alba — There  are  several  kinds  that  bear 
this  name,  but  the  best  is  a  strong,  vigorous  plant,  with 
a  good  stem,  and  a  large,  fragrant  flower.  Pink  guard 
j)etals,  sulphur  center,  splashed  often  with  crimson,  the 
whole  changing  to  snowy  white  in  a  short  time.  It  is  a 
good  keeper  and  a  prolific  bloomer.  These  have  been 
sold  by  the  thousands,  innocently  too,  by  some  of  the 
best  firms,  for  Festiva  Maxima,  which  in  full  bloom 
they  closely  resemble. 

Humea  Alba — A  very  fine  and  rare  variety.  It  has 
the  beautiful  blush  of  the  morning.  The  guard  petals 
are  light  pink.  The  center  has  a  thread  like  collar 
of  light  flesh  petals.  It  has  a  delicious  fragrance. 
There  are  two  Paeonies  which  bear  this  name. 

Humei  Carnea — There  has  been  an  infinite  amount 
of  confusion  regarding  this  Paeony.  At  least  six  kinds 
have  been  sent  out  under  this  name.     Many  of  our  lead- 


IN  THE  FRONT  YARD.  229 

iDg  growers  are  at  fault,  and  some  writers  also.  Andre 
Laures  has  been  sent  out  for  it,  and  other  varieties  en- 
tirely at  variance,  and  a  recent  work  on  Bulbs  is 
at  fault.  Yet  it  is  one  of  the  most  distinct  types  of 
all.  It  has  a  foliage  peculiar  to  itself.  The  color  is  a 
rose  pink.  The  petals  look  as  if  the  color  was  var- 
nished into  them.  It  is  a  large,  compact,  solid,  glori- 
ous flower,  of  symmetrical  form  and  cinnamon  scented. 
It  ranks  among  the  best,  and  scores  the  full  five  points. 
This  is  often  confounded  with  the  large  M.  Valliant. 
It  should  probably  be  called  Thorbeckii. 

Ilalseus — Is  a  French  white.  It  first  opens  with  a 
pinkish  flush,  gradually  growing  lighter. 

Hesperides — Is  white,  with  flesh  guard  petals. 

Henry  Demay — Is  a  striking  and  beautiful  flower. 
Light  crimson,  fine  form  and  symmetrical. 

Hercules — Terry's.     Is  tall,  light  rose,  tipped  white. 

Herman — Terry's.  Is  a  tall,  strong  grower.  Petals 
broad.     Pale,  purplish  rose,  inside  straw-tinted. 

Irma — Soft  rose,  flesh  tinted.  I  secured  this  from 
France,  and  am  well  pleased  with  it. 

Ilion— Has  white  guard  petals,  and  also  narrow  white 
center  ones. 

Insignis — Described  in  French  catalogue  as  a  grand 
flower,  of  brilliant  carmine. 

Jeanne  d'Arc — Had  a  slight  mention  in  former  bul- 
letin. We  now  hasten  to  do  her  justice.  Some  plants 
do  best  when  the  stools  have  had  three  or  four  years 
in  which  to  become  established.  Then  they  burst  forth 
in  a  very  splendor  of  loveliness.      Thus  did  our  Jeanne. 


230  THE   GOLD    MINE 

The  flower  opens  light  pink,  but  gradually  grows  white 
as  the  soul  of  the  war  maiden.  The  center  of  the  flow- 
er rises  like  a  crown,  and  the  pure  whiteness  seems 
sprinkled  with  drops  of  blood,  symbolic  of  the  cruel 
death  she  suffered.  It  was  a  delight  to  visit  those  fra- 
grant and  lovely  flowers  and  linger  over  them  and  drink 
in  their  sweetness. 

Jennie  Lind — Has  suddenly  sprung  into  prominence 
and  value.  Clear,  rose  pink,  long  stem,  fragrant  and 
good  keeper. 

Jugurtha — Is  a  dwarf, .^bright  pink. 

James  Kelway — Y  e  r  y  fine,  white,  beautifully 
scented. 

Joan  Seaton — Double,  bright  cherry  rose,  each  petal 
edged  with  lighter  color.  A  rose-shaped  flower,  show^- 
ing  anthers  among  the  petals. 

Juno — Is  fiery,   flashing  crimson. 

Jupiter — Is  large,  full  double  crimson,  tipped  light. 

Kelway's  Queen — Light  pink,  a  most  delicate  and 
lovely  sort.     Very  fragrant. 

Kitty  Green — Rosy  lavender,  large  flower.  Fra- 
grant. 

La  Reine — Terry's.  Delicate  blush,  changing  to 
snowy  white.  Center  light  yellow,  sometimes  touched 
with  crimson.  We  are  well  pleased  with  this  fine,  fra- 
grant flower. 

Lucretia — Light  blush,  good  size,  shapely,  with  a 
sort  of  twilight  lingering  in  its  petals. 

Lady  Curzon — We  are  favorably  impressed  with  this 
flower.     White  guard  petals,  with  cream  colored  inner 


IN  THE  FRONT  YARD.  231 

petals,  a  faint  blush  permeating  the  whole  flower  at 
first.  It  is  of  good  size,  and  delicately  perfumed. 
Every  way  worthy  of  the  lady  whose  name  it  bears. 

Lady  Alexander  Duff — This  flower  has  been  spoken 
of  as  the  very  queen  of  the  whole  family.  It  is  de- 
scribed by  Kelway  as  lovely  French  white.  One  of 
the  grandest  in  existence;  tall,  robust  and  highly  per- 
fumed. The  roots  of  this  flower  are  worth  $10  each 
and  hard  to  get  at  that. 

Lady  Bramwell— Is  silvery  rose.  A  most  charming 
flower,  perfect  in  form,  compact,  symmetrical  and  ex- 
ceedingly fragrant.  It  is  one  of  our  fine  ones.  It  wears 
well  on  a  long  acquaintance.  There  are  hardly  enough 
to  keep  up  with  the  demand. 

Lady  Beresford — Described  as  a  large-flowered  va- 
riety of  soft  lush  shade,  delicate  and  beautiful.  The 
petals  are  tipped  in  carmine.  I  sent  for  two  of  these. 
One  was  an  inferior,  little,  single  one,  and  the  other 
a  small  pink. 

Lyde — Is  rose  color,  with  pink  center. 
La  Coquette — Is(  on  the  diamond  list  of  Paillet,  of 
France.     Center  and  guard  petals  pink,  balance  salmon. 
A  fine,  large  flower  and  a  good  keeper. 

La  Tulipe — I  know  of  no  flower  so  attractive  in  the 
bud  as  this.  First  a  ball  interlaced  with  green,  red 
and  light.  As  it  grows,  these  interlacings  are  more 
pronounced.  There  is  no  bloom  whose  unfoldings  you 
watch  with  greater  interest.  Men,  women  and  children 
gather  around  it  in  delight.'  Finally  it  opens,  a  solid 
ball  of  softest  blush,  with  streaks  of  carmine.     There  it 


232  THE    GOLD    MINE 

sits  in  all  its  beauty,  a  glorious  flower  in  a  chalice  of 
veined  marble,  emitting  a  delightful  perfume.  Gradu- 
ally it  fades  to  purest  white,  looking  much  like  Festiva 
Maxima.  It  is  a  splendid  keeper  and  scores  the  five 
points  to  perfection. 

L'Esperence — Said  to  be  almost,  if  not  quite,  iden- 
tical with  Duchess  de  J^emours.  This  is  an  excellent 
variety.  In  the  first  place  it  is  a  pink  rose  in  form  and 
fragrance.  It  is  especially  valuable  in  the  northern 
states,  as  it  is  a  strong,  hardy  and  robust  plant,  and 
often  is  on  time  for  Decoration  Day.  It  is  a  good 
keeper.  It  is  on  the  diamond  list  of  the  leading  French 
dealers.     It  scores  the  five  points. 

Limosel — Very  bright,  clear  lilac  rose.  A  large  flow- 
er, full  double,  with  broad  guard  petals  and  narrower 
ones  in  the  center.  Very  fragrant.  Having  had  these 
for  several  years  they  stand  up  well  to  the  description. 

Louis  Yan  Houtie — Is  a  splendid,  rich  crimson,  a 
magnificent  bloomer.     It  stands  well  at  the  front. 

Morning  Star — Is  one  of  the  most  dainty  of  the  whole 
family.  Though  exceedingly  delicate  looking,  the  plant 
is  hardy.  It  is  well  named.  Starry  rays  radiate  from 
its  heart  of  gold. 

Mrs.  Fletcher — Terry's.  Is  an  attractive  flower  of 
deep,  dark  rose  color.     We  have  found  it  very  fine. 

Mrs.  Rudd — Outside  petals  broad  "and  white,  inside 
straw  color,  petals  finely  fringed. 

ISTigra — Is  one  of  the  darkest  crimson,  full  double. 

Marie    Crousse — Very  large,   full,    globular   bloom; 


IN   THE  FRONT  YARD.  233 

soft  salmon  pink,  shaded  witli  glossy  lilac,  very  fresh 
color. 

Marie  Stuart — Beautiful  anemone-shaped  flower, 
with  collar  of  bright  clear,  pink  petals ;  center  sulphur 
white. 

Madam  Chaumy — Is  a  large,  symmetrical,  solid 
pink  flower,  fragrant  and  very  charming.  In  form 
and  color  much  like  Lady  Bramwell,  only  it  is  much 
later  and  larger. 

Mme.  Camille  Bancel— Described  by  Ward:  Very 
full,  enormous,  globular  flower,  color  lively  blush  lilac 
pink,  with  center  shaded  with  salmon. 

Madam  Geissler — Is  light  purplish  rose,  solid  color, 
massive  and  very  fragrant.  One  of  Mr.  Peterson's  fa- 
vorites. 

Marguerite  Gerard — Described  by  Ward  :  Immense 
flower,  with  very  large,  well  formed  petals ;  color  clear 
flesh,  fading  to  tender,  creamy  white.  Center  creamy 
white,  with  petals  occasionally  spotted  and  tipped  with 
carmine.  Ward  &  Shaylor  place  this  high  on  the  list. 
It  is  one  of  the  more  recent  French  productions. 

Modesto  Guerin — Large,  anemone-shaped  flower; 
color  uniform,  bright  carmine.  Very  attractive,  stand- 
ing well  up  on  the  list. 

Mons.  Jules  Elie — Described  by  Ward  :  Very  large, 
full,  globular  flower,  with  broad,  imbricated  petalage. 
Color  glossy  pink,  deepening  at  the  base  of  the  petals ; 
reflex  silvery  pink ;  flower  of  nice  form,  and  quite  fra- 
grant. 


234  THE    GOLD    MINE 

Mons.  Paillet — Probably  named  from  the  noted 
French  florist.  It  is  a  very  large  flower,  light  pink, 
shading  to  white,  with  pond  lily  fragrance. 

Mons.  Ronsselon — Guard  petals  are  rosy  pink,  center 
petals  the  same  color  with  delicate  shadings,  slightly 
flaked  with  carmine — a  very  distinct  and  beautiful 
flower. 

Madam  d'  Yernville — Father  Terry  goes  into  raptures 
over  this  flower.  It  is  well  at  the  head  in  merit.  De- 
scribed by  Thurlow  as  a  very  valuable  new  Paeony; 
globular  form ;  white  center  petals  tipped  with  carmine ; 
very  fragrant,  vigorous  and  floriferous.  I  was  happy 
in  securing  a  quantity  of  these  and  shall  watch  them 
with  intense  interest. 

Model  de  Perfection — Described  by  Peterson :  Far 
superior  to  the  sort  generally  sold  under  this  name.  A 
solid,  clear  pink,  with  crimpled  center,  set  on  large 
guard  petals,  forming  immense  globular  buds  and  flow- 
ers on  strong  stems.  Years  ago  we  secured  some  of 
these  from  Mr.  Peterson.  They  are  eminently  satisfac- 
tory.    Hardy,  full  bloomers,  fragrant  and  good  keepers. 

Marie  Lemoine — The  Lemoines  are  noted  florists, 
but  their  names  are  a  little  too  numerous.  We  have 
several  among  the  Lilacs,  also  among  the  Philadelphus, 
and  here  the  name  is  stretched  to  cover  two  entirely 
distinct  varieties.  One  fathered  by  Calot  is  lovely, 
ivory  white,  an  early  bloomer,  emitting  a  delicious  fra- 
grance, with  a  root  tangled  and  twisted,  and  hard  to 
separate.  The  other,  fostered  by  Crousse,  has  a  large, 
full  double  bloom;  color  sulphur  white;  center  petals 


IN  THE  FRONT  YARD.  235 

lightly  edged  with  pink.     Very  late  and  one  of  the  very 
best. 

Madam  Breon — There  are  two  flowers  bearing  this 
name.  One,  outer  petals  rosy  pink;  pale  yellow  cen- 
ter, changing  to  white;  and  the  other  is  fine,  shapely, 
solid  crimson.  This  latter  was  sent  out  by  T.  C.  Thur- 
low. 

Magnifica — Described  by  Kelway  as  delicate  pink, 
turning  to  blush  white ;  large,  full  and  free.  That  usu- 
ally sent  under  this  name  is  nearer  red,  turning  to  pink. 

Magnificent — Is  a  medium  sized  flow^er  and  fragrant. 
It  is  of  the  pink,  cream  and  gold  order,  with  drops  of 
carmine.     Much  like  Triumph  de  Paris,  only  smaller. 

Madonna — Outer  petals  rose,  center  creamy  chamois. 

Moonbeam — Is  one  of  Kelway's  newer  ones.  Large, 
white,  tufted  in  the  center. 

Mme.  Schmidt — One  of  Paillet's;  is  rosy,  lightly 
tinted  white,  large  flower;  does  well  in  I^Tebraska. 

Marie — Is  white,  in  light  rose  tints. 

Maxima — Is  white,  with  short  petals. 

ISTymph — ^ew.  It  opens  a  single  flower,  with  white 
petals.  It  has  a  pond  lily  fragrance.  In  the  center 
are  incurved  snow-white  petals  and  these  are  dotted 
with  crimson,  making  it  a  most  attractive  flower.  Lat- 
er, the  inner  petals  expand,  forming  another  perfect 
flower  sitting  in  the  lap  of  the  first,  separated  by  several 
rows  of  stamens.  It  continues  in  bloom  a  long  time, 
and  it  is  a  delight  to  watch  its  varying  forms  of  loveli- 
ness. 


236  THE    GOLD    MINE 

^N'oblissima — Is  a  fine  flower  of  rosy  lilac;  very  at- 
tractive. 

l^e  Plus  Ultra^ — Is  a  fine  flower,  peach-color,  edged 
with  white. 

Nivalis — Is  pnre  white. 

Princess  Ellen — Opens  delicate  flesh,  changing  to 
white;  large  flower  and  a  good  keeper;  very  desirable. 
-Princess  of  Wales — Terry's.  Large,  white,  mot- 
tled with  rose;  a  fine  flower. 

Prince  of  Wales — Terry's.  Purple,  edged  silver, 
large,  full  double,  often  in  clusters. 

Prince  of  Wales — Kelway.  Soft  lilac  rose;  large 
flower,  rather  shy  bloomer. 

Princess  Beatrice — Pink  guard  petals,  inner  petals 
yellow  and  pink ;  a  fine  variety  and  free  bloomer. 

Peter  the  Great — Is  deep,  rosy  purple.  Sunburns 
badly  in  Nebraska;  needs  shelter. 

Plutarch — A  satin  crimson,  exceedingly  brilliant 
and  striking,  with  pond  lily  fragrance;  a  very  choice 
flower. 

Pulcherima — Light,  satiny  rose,  center  blush  white. 

Pulcherima  Odorata — Shaded  pink,  with  yellow  cen- 
ter, and  fragrant ;  very  fine. 

Pottsii — Purple  crimson,  with  thread-like  petals;  a 
very  conspicuous  flower  and  in  great  demand. 

Pomponia — Pine  large,  flesh  colored  blossom  fading 
to  white. 

Queen  Victoria — There  are  three  distinct  flowers 
which  seem  to  be  wearing  this  name.  One  that  has  been 
raised  by  Terry  for  40  years  is  described  by  him  dark 


IN   THE  FRONT   YARD.  237 

rose  with  ligliter  edges,  center  straw  color,  largo  flowers. 
Kelway  describes  his  as  flesh  colored,  large,  compact 
center,  and  red  blotch  in  the  central  petal — a  grand 
flower.  The  other  in  most  common  use  is  identical  with 
the  Whitleji,  which  is  blush  white  with  cream  center. 
Red  Jacket — As  several  deep  crimson,  new  Paeonies 
have  come  into  the  writer's  possession,  he  has  named 
them  after  Indian  chiefs.  One  is  King  Philip,  a  tall, 
robust  plant ;  one  is  Red  Cloud ;  one  named  Shabona ; 
an  extremely  fine  one  is  Pocahontas ;  and  a  dainty  little 
single  is  called  Pappoose.  Red  Jacket  is  a  finely  formed 
flower,  deep  rich  color  and  very  fragrant,  which  is  a 
little  unusual  in  deep  crimson.  I  think  it  much  sur- 
passes both  in  form  and  fragrance  the  new  Bunch  of 
Perfume.  The  only  drawback  is  it  may  be  a  tardy 
bearer. 

Rubra  Triumphans — This  is  the  earliest  of  the  crim- 
son family.  It  is  not  quite  full  double.  It  has  a  golden 
center.  It  is  valuable  in  that  it  is  often  on  hand  for 
Decoration  Day. 

Richardson's  Rubra  Superba — This  is  one  of  the 
grandest  of  the  whole  race.  It  is  very  robust  and  of 
immense  size ;  as  Peterson  says,  one  of  the  finest  that 
ever  happened.  It  is  among  the  very  latest,  deep  crim- 
son in  color,  of  immense  size  and  firm  form.  It  is  very 
valuable  as  a  cut  flower.  Taken  just  as  the  buds  swell 
and  put  in  cold  storage  it  will  keep  for  a  long  time. 

Richardson's  Dorchester — Is  another  very  fine  one, 
beautiful,  soft  cream  color,  with  pink  tinting,  rather 


238  THE   GOLD    MINE 

dwarf.  A  beautiful  flower.  This  was  taken  to  England 
and  appears  in  Kelway's  list  as  a  $2  flower. 

Sunbeam — 'New;  fragrant;  radiant  silver,  ethereally 
beautiful;  very  striking. 

Sainfoin — Kelway.  Described  as  the  most  striking 
of  all.     The  flowers  full,  large  and  brilliant  self  rose. 

Snowy  Coles — Blush  white,  with  narrow,  thread-like 
petals;  very  sweet. 

Souvenir  de  la  ExjDOsition — Blush  outside  petals,  with 
white,  narrow  central  petals.  A  fine,  large,  imposing 
blossom. 

Splendid  a — Light  lilac,  edged  white. 

Sada  Evans — Terry's.  Outside  petals  broad,  deli- 
cate rose,  inside  fringed  and  straw-colored,  the  whole 
molting  into  a  beautiful  white. 

Stephania — Considered  by  Terry  as  one  of  his  finest. 
Pale  rose,  nearly  white ;  center  pure  white  with  crimson 
stripes. 

The  Bride — Is  a  charming  white  flower. 

Thomas  Meehan — Terry's.  Light  rose,  silver  tip- 
ped; large  double  flower,  worthy  of  the  noble  man 
whose  name  it  bears. 

The  Amazon — New.  If  you  wish  size  and  show  and 
a  good  deal  of  it,  this  is  the  flower.  There  is  nothing 
refined  or  delicate  about  it.  It  is  exceedingly  prolific 
and  robust,  and  bears  an  enormous  burden  of  great, 
rose  colored  flowers.  It  is  full,  free,  hearty  and  gen- 
erous, and  a  good  one  for  beginners. 

Victor — Terry's.  Deep  red;  a  fine,  fragrant,  solid 
flower,  and  a  good  keeper.    Very  desirable. 


IN  THE  FRONT   YARD.  239 

Virgo  Maria — Pure,  snowy  white. 

Victoria  Tricolor — Is  one  of  the  most  vigorous  and 
prolific  bloomers  we  have.  The  first  year  it  will  put  out 
small  blooms,  according  to  the  material  it  has.  The 
next  year  they  will  be  larger,  and  the  third  year  the 
plant  will  be  fairly  deluged  with  bloom.  It  is  also 
fragrant.  Though  the  flower  cannot  rank  among  the 
finest,  yet  it  is  very  desirable. 

Victoria  Modesta — Is  a  very  fragrant  flower,  borne 
on  a  long,  strong  stem;  outer  petals  pink,  inner  ones 
white. 

E-eine  Victoria — Is  a  fragrant  pink.  These,  three 
Victorias,  while  not  ranking  among  the  very  best,  yet 
on  account  of  their  fragrance  and  vigor  should  not  be 
omitted. 

Zoe  Callot — Is  Grandiflora  Rosea  on  a  smaller  scale. 

Grandiflora  Rosea.  A  fine  flower  with  light  pink 
outer  and  inner  petals. 

Zenobia — Is  one  of  Terry's.  A  full  double  rosy  crim- 
son. 

Zonvon — Is  a  deep,  dark,  bright  flower  from  Holland. 

SINGLE    PAEONIES. 

These  are  very  beautiful  in  the  bed,  but  not  so  desir- 
able as  cut  flowers.  They  are  not  as  long-lived,  and  have 
a  tendency  to  fold  their  petals  at  night,  yet  some  of  them 
are  of  marvelous  beauty.  They  are  not  as  popular  in 
the  west  as  in  the  east.  I  name  a  few  of  the  leading 
ones  from  Kelway's  list : 


240  •  THE    GOLD    MINE 

Bridesmaid.      Single  white. 

Captain  Holford.    Clear  rose. 

Countess  Cadogan.     Lovely  flesli  color. 

Countess  of  Warwick.     Delicate,  soft  flesh. 

Doris.     Bright  rose. 

Duchess  of  Sutherland.  Large,  flesh  pink;  a  lovely 
flower. 

Earl  of  Morley.     Light  purple. 

Earl  of  Powis.     Cherry  rose. 

Earl  of  Onslow.     A  good  purple. 

Flag  of  Truce.    Pure  white. 

Flag  of  War.    Deep,  blood  crimson. 

Ideality.     Deep  rose;  grand. 

Kimberly.    A  very  pretty,  rosy  pink. 

Lady  Helen  Vincent.  White;  tinged  flesh;  very 
beautiful. 

Lady  Jeune.     Blush  white;  very  delicate. 

Lord  Annaly.     Deep  crimson ;  a  fine,  rich  shade. 

Meteor.     Bright,  dazzling  crimson. 

Other  single  ones  of  American  birth : 

Defiance.     Terry.     Brilliant  crimson ;  tall  and  fine. 

Full  Moon.  New.  This  is  one  of  the  most  striking, 
immense  crimson,  with  strong  outer  petals  and  a  full 
moon  of  golden  stamens.     A  hearty,  open-faced  flower. 

Terry.    Is  a  sort  of  lilac  rose,  very  rich  color. 

St.  Sophia.  Terry's.  Is  deep  rose,  and  has  the  long- 
est succession  of  bloom  of  any  of  the  single  family. 

Wild  Rose.  Pleas.  Is  a  fine,  open-faced  crimson 
flower,  with  a  large,  golden  cushion. 

May  Davidson.     Is  a  large  pink,  striped  with  silver. 


IN  THE  FRONT  YARD.  241 

The  Queen.  Terry's.  Large  white,  with  cushion  of 
pure  gold. 

We  have  several  others  on  the  way,  whose  merits  are 
not  fully  established. 

THE    JAPANESE    PAEONIES. 

These  are  a  distinct  family  by  themselves,  single  and 
semi-double,  with  very  pronounced  golden  centers.  They 
are  prodigal  bloomers,  often  covered  with  a  profusion 
of  beauty.  They  are  very  hardy.  Some  of  us  are  en- 
deavoring to  raise  a  new  race  from  seed,  and  here  there 
is  a  vast  field.  The  nomenclature  of  this  whole  family 
is  in  a  chaotic  state,  and  the  Paeony  Society  is  hard  at 
work  naming  and  classifying  them.  I  have  in  all  some 
thirty  kinds.     I  append  Henry  Dreers'  list: 

Apollo.     Deep  pink,  shading  lighter  toward  the  edges. 

Diana.     Blush,  Avith  creamy  white  center. 

Exquisite.     White,  with  yellow  stamens. 

Fabiola.     Delicate  blush. 

^NTeptune.     A  fine  shell  pink. 

Ophir.     Dark  carmine. 

Saturn.     Rosy  pink,  with  yellow  stamens. 

Souvenir.     Flesh  pink,  creamy  white  center. 

Titian.     Soft,  delicate  pink. 

Yesta.     Purplish  red. 

Topaz.     Deep  rose,  shading  lighter  at  the  margin. 

Undine.     Bright  pink,  with  darker  shading. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

GLADIOLUS,   THE   SWORD  LILY. 

The  diminutive  of  "gladus/'  the  sword.  The  mean- 
ing is  ^"^little  sword.'' 

There  are  about  90  varieties  of  this  beautiful  flow- 
er. They  are  found  growing  in  the  region  of  the  Med- 
iterranean, in  Asia  and  most  of  the  species  are  from 
South  Africa.  Marvelous  improvements  have  been 
made  in  recent  years  in  this  flower.  Blossoms  of  im- 
mense size  have  been  produced  and  these  are  of  great 
beauty. 

It  is  true  the  bulbs  must  be  planted  every  spring  and 
must  be  taken  up  every  fall.  Yet,  there  is  no  hurry  in 
the  spring.  These  with  dahlias  and  cannas  are  plant- 
ed after  the  rush  of  spring  work  is  over. 

SOILS. 

Our  Western  rich  prairie  loam  is  just  the  thing  for 
them.  Some  people  stake  the  stems.  As  a  general 
thing  this  is  not  necessary  if  properly  planted.  The 
soil  should  be  heavily  manured  the  year  before  so  the 
manure  will  be  well  incorporated  and  the  ground  fine 
and  friable.  Then  plant  at  least  4  inches  deep.  When 
I  first  commenced  I  had  a  good  deal  of  trouble  with 
the  long  heavy  stems  tipping  over.     I  found  the  trouble 


PliESENTED   BY  ARTHUR    COWEB,    BERLIN,   N.    Y, 


IN   THE   FRONT  YARD.  245 

was  I  had  not  planted  deep  enough.  You  can  have 
your  rows  about  two  feet  apart  and  put  them  four 
inches  apart  in  the  row.  They  need  thorough  cultiva- 
tion. When  they  first  come  up,  before  they  are  very 
liigh,  go  over  the  whole  ground  with  the  rake.  That 
lightens  the  soil  and  kills  the  weeds  while  the  plants  are 
set  deep  enough  so  they  are  not  disturbed  by  the  rake, 
j^ever  grow  anything  in  partnership  with  weeds.  Ir- 
rigate with  the  hoe  and  cultivator.  More  and  more  we 
are  finding  out  that  constant  cultivation  is  absolutely 
essential  to  success.  This  keeps  the  ground  from  dry- 
ing out  and  kills  the  weeds.  Cultivate  after  every  rain 
if  possible.  This  closes  the  pores  in  the  soil  and  re- 
tains the  moisture. 

PKOPAGATION". 

It  is  easy  to  raise  them  from  seed  and  then  you  have 
the  charm  of  discovery.  You  are  sure  of  something- 
new.  Save  seed  from  your  best  plants,  prepare  a  bed 
thoroughly,  put  the  seed  in  shallow  drills  and  cover 
about  an  inch  deep.  See  that  they  do  not  dry  out  in 
germinating.  If  in  the  open  it  is  well  to  cover  them 
with  burlap  till  they  begin  to  come  up.  In  the  fall  dig 
and  dry  them  and  store  in  a  dry  cellar. '  Plant  again 
the  next  spring  and  they  will  be  large  enough  to  bloom 
the  year  following. 

Do  not  plant  on  the  same  gTOund  in  succession. 
Choose  a  fresh  place  each  year. 

When  you  take  up  the  bulbs  in  the  fall  you  will  find 
rows   of  tiny   bulblets   attached   to  them.      Sometimes 


246  THE    GOLD    MINE 

there  will  be  from  one  to  two  hundred  of  these  tiny 
corms  attached  to  a  single  bulb.  You  take  these  off 
and  plant  them  as  you  would  peas  the  next  spring.  Of 
course  these  will  be  like  the  parent  root,  while  the  seed- 
lings will  give  you  something  new. 

We  are  often  asked  if  paeonies,  dahlias,  cannas  and 
other  flowers  will  not  mix  and  change  color  by  being 
planted  near  together.  'Never.  This  is  impossible. 
The  seeds  will  of  course  bring  different  results,  but 
merely  growing  side  by  side  will  never  effect  any 
change. 

THE  FLOWERS. 

While  in  Minneapolis  in  the  summer  of  1904  the 
florists  told  me  there  was  no  sale  for  the  flowers  and 
they  went  begging  everywhere.  Looking  at  the  blos- 
soms I  did  not  wonder,  for  they  were  little,  out-of-date 
affairs.  Not  much  like  the  grand,  full,  radiant  ones 
of  more  modern  types. 

The  Childs  &  Groff's  hybrids  and  Burbanks  outrank 
the  old  sorts  and  by  constantly  selecting  seed  from  the 
best  there  is  a  chance  for  great  improvement  yet. 

When  the  first  flowers  begin  to  open,  cut  off  the  stem 
and  put  it  in  water  and  it  will  keep  on  blooming  a 
long  time. 

There  is  an  almost  infinite  number  of  named  sorts. 

Arthur  Cowee  of  Berlin,  N.  Y.,  is  quite  a  specialist 
in  this  line  and  sends  out  a  very  neat  little  booklet  with 
various  approved  varieties  and  directions  for  obtaining 
the  best  results.  He  has  immense  fields  of  them  and 
seems  to  keep  at  the  front. 


IN    THE    FRONT    YARD.  247 


SUCCESSION  OF  BLOOM. 


This  can  be  regulated  both  by  varieties  and  also  by 
the  time  of  planting.  In  a  bed  of  several  hundred 
some  will  bloom  very  early  and  others  late.  I  have  had 
them  bloom  in  November  while  others  of  the  same 
planting  will  blossom  early  in  July.  For  a  succession 
plant  about  the  first  of  May.  Plant  another  lot  the 
first  of  June  and  you  can  plant  again  in  July.  In  fact 
late  blossoms  are  the  best  because  they  come  on  after 
the  intense  heat  of  summer  has  passed.  If  you  wish 
the  best  results  while  they  are  blooming  in  the  hottest 
part  of  the  season  and  it  is  very  dry,  shelter  them  with 
burlap  or  muslin. 


FORCING  THEM. 


Having  had  no  experience  in  this  line  I  quote  from 
an  expert,  C.  L.  Allen,  of  Floral  Park,  N.  Y. :  "The 
gladiolus  for  decorative  purposes  during  the  winter 
season  has  of  late  been  considerably  used ;  many  gi'ow- 
ers  having  been  very  successful  in  bringing  it  in  at  the 
proper  time,  making  it  a  profitable  branch  of  their  in- 
dustry. This  had  the  tendency  to  induce  others  who 
had  not  sufiicient  knowledge  of  its  requirements  to 
make  a  success  of  the  enterprise,  to  plant  on  a  large 
scale.  Like  all  other  undertakings,  with  hope,  rather 
than  experience  as  a  guide,  it  has  not  been  as  profitable 
as  might  be  desired."  But  a  few  men  have  been  suc- 
cessful, among  them  John  Thorp  of  Peal  Kiver,  N.  Y., 
who   knows   the   o-ladiolus   well   and    acts   accordingly. 


248  THE    GOLD    MINE 

The  flowers  he  produced  reach  the  full  measure  of 
their  capabilities.     We  quote  what  he  says: 

^'The  gladiolus  when  grown  as  a  forced  flower  is  ap- 
preciated to  a  greater  extent  than  when  grown  out  of 
doors.  Like  many  other  flowers  it  is  better  under  the 
protection  of  glass.  When  well  cared  for  the  flowers 
are  larger,  the  colors  purer,  and  the  spikes  longer.  To 
force  them  successfully,  however,  requires  attention  at 
just  the  right  time,  and  its  wants  should  always  be  an- 
ticipated and  supplied.  Here  is  the  routine  of  my 
practice.  The  bulbs  I  forced  this  year  were  also  forced 
last  year.  They  were  planted  February  8  and  the  first 
flowers  were  cut  the  30th  of  May.  This  year's  work 
began  December  27  by  putting  each  bulb  in  a  four-inch 
pot,  using  sandy  loam  without  manure,  and  placing  the 
bulb  on  top,  pressing  it  down  to  hold  it  without  any 
other  covering.  They  were  watered  and  then  placed 
under  the  benches  of  the  carnation  house  until  the  be- 
ginning of  February.  At  that  time  those  plants  which 
had  grown  four  inches  were  brought  to  light  and  again 
watered.  Placing  them  close  together  on  a  bench  near 
the  light,  a  little  water  was  given  them  from  time  to 
time,  retarding  the  top  growth  and  encouraging  the 
root  action  as  much  as  possible. 

"My  soil  is  rather  of  a  heavy  sandy  loam,  and  in  this 
the  bulbs  were  planted ;  the  depth  of  the  bed  being  a  lit- 
tle over  four  inches.  The  bulbs  were  scarcely  covered 
at  this  time  and  this  I  find  prevents  the  plants  from 
damping  off  during  the  dull  days  when  they  have  com- 
menced to  grow  rapidly.     By  the  middle  of  March  each 


IN    THE    FRONT    YARD.  249 

plant  was  tied  separately  to  prevent  its  falling  over.  A 
light  mulching  of  stable  manure  was  then  put  on  and 
well  watered. 

^'Three  things  I  find  necessary  to  successfully  force 
the  gladiolus: 

^Tirst — The  pots  must  be  well  filled  with  roots  before 
the  plants  are  finally  set  out  in  the  benches. 

''Second — The  nearer  the  bulbs  are  to  the  surface  the 
less  liable  the  plants  are  to  damp  off. 

"Third — The  bulbs  must  be  well  ripened  before  us- 
ing.'' 

You  will  note  the  entirely  different  system  used  in 
the  greenhouse  or  indoors.  In  this  case  you  plant  near 
the  surface.  In  the  open  you  must  plant  at  least  four 
inches  deep. 

UNNAMED  VARIETIES. 

These  are  very  numerous.  I  think  the  better  way 
is  to  get  choice  mixtures.  They  come  cheaper  and  you 
get  the  different  shades  and  colors.  Different  dealers 
I  note  advertise  the  Groff,  the  Child's,  Lemoine  and 
Burbank  mixtures,  and  they  are  all  fine  and  come 
cheaper  than  the  named  sorts. 

SOME  POPULAR  KINDS. 

Canary  Bird  is  a  large  fine  yellow  flower. 

Shakespeare  is  called  one  of  the  best.  Flowers  large 
on  a  long  spike,  creamy  white,  with  delicate  carmine 
rose  tintings  and  quite  a  blotch  on  the  lower  divisions. 

La  Candeur  is  fine  and  large  with  strong  spikes  well 
lined  with  beautiful  blooms,  nearly  white. 


250  THE    GOLD    MINE 

Romulus  is  very  early,  dark  red,  with  pure  white 
blotches. 

Isaac  Buchanan  is  clear  yellow. 

John  Bull  is  white. 

Napoleon  III  is  a  bright  scarlet  flower  striped  with 
creamy  white. 

A  good  way  is  to  get  the  finest  mixtures.  Mark  the 
best  when  you  take  up  the  roots.  Save  the  bulblets  from 
them  and  keep  them  separate.  ]!^ame  them  if  you 
choose.  Keep  at  it  year  after  year  and  you  will  soon 
have  quite  a  stock.  If  you  wish  entirely  new  ones  save 
seed  from  the  very  choicest  and  begin  at  the  founda- 
tion and  develop  something  entirely  new. 

CANNAS. 

There  is  a  growing  interest  in  these  flowers.  They 
make  an  imposing  appearance  in  the  garden.  At  first 
they  were  used  largely  for  foliage  effect.  The  leaves 
are  large,  and  some  deep  green,  some  light  green  and 
others  of  bronze  color.  But  great  improvements  have 
been  made  of  late  years  so  that  now  they  are  highly 
prized  for  their  blossoms  as  well.  They  are  not  of 
much  value  as  cut  flowers,  but  for  imposing  effect  of 
bloom  and  foliage  they  are  not  surpassed. 

When  you  have  a  collection  put  the  rankest  growers 
in  the  rear.  The  Pillar  of  Fire  is  immense  in  growth 
and  a  fine  bloomer.  Plant  next  to  this  those  of  slower 
growth,  then  come  down  to  the  dwarfs  and  you  have  a 
stairway  of  beauty,  rising  till  they  reach  the  Pillar  of 
Fire,  which  overlooks  them  all. 


IN    THE    FRONT    YARD.  251 

They  multiply  rapidly.  One  root  may  have  15  or 
20  divisions.  You  separate,  these  and  plant  about  the 
first  of  May  or  earlier  perhaps,  as  it  takes  some  time 
for  them  to  come  up.  It  is  sometimes  difficult  to  keep 
the  roots.  Of  course  being  tropical  plants,  they  never 
get  ripe.  They  are  always  killed  down  by  the  frost  and 
of  course  the  roots  are  green.  If  they  get  too  dry  they 
do  not  like  it,  and  if  too  wet  they  will  rot.  You  must 
watch  them  and  perhaps  bring  them  out  and  air  them 
on  mild  days  in  winter.  They  are  much  harder  to 
keep  than  the  dahlia,  which  you  can  treat  as  you  would 
potatoes.  I  have  received  the  latter  when  almost  en- 
tirely dried  up,  but  they  would  grow  all  right.  Cannas 
should  be  planted  four  or  five  inches  deep  in  very  rich 
ground.  Put  them  about  18  inches  or  two  feet  apart. 
They  must  have  rich  ground  as  they  are  rank  feeders. 
If  very  dry  you  had  better  mulch  heavily  if  you  can- 
not water  them. 

RAISING  FROM  SEED. 

This  is  an  easy  matter.  Some  will  put  seeds  in  a 
pot  and  start  them  early.  I  have  planted,  however,  in 
the  open  in  the  latter  part  of  April  and  had  blooms 
of  marvelous  beauty  and  heavy  roots  the  first  year. 
Some  were  fully  up  to  many  of  the  named  sorts.  Some 
were  fiery  scarlet,  others  were  red  and  gold,  some  yel- 
low and  highly  freckled— in  short  there  was  a  menag- 
erie of  beauty  and  a  perfect  surprise  of  loveliness. 

The  seeds  are  very  hard.  I  brought  water  to  the 
boiling  point  and  then  took  it  off  a  few  moments  to 


252  THE    GOLD    MINE 

take  off  keen  edge,  then  poured  it  on  and  stirred  rapidly 
for  several  minutes ;  then  covered  them  up  and  left  them 
standing  a  day  or  two  and  had  a  beautiful  stand.  Soak- 
ing in  quite  warm  water  a  few  days  and  changing  the 
water  twice  a  day  will  do  well  and  you  take  no  risk  of 
overheating.  Plant  about  two  inches  deep  in  light  fine 
soil. 

The  following  are  described  by &  Co.,  Tarry- 

town-on-the-Hudson,  N.  Y. : 

Mrs.  Kate  Gray — This  is  an  extraordinarily  grand 
canna  in  every  way.  Flowers  are  of  gigantic  size,  meas- 
uring six  inches  in  diameter,  much  larger  than  Italia 
or  any  of  the  Italian  varieties.  The  Italian  varieties, 
in  fact,  are  not  to  be  compared  with  this  variety  in  any 
way — size  of  flower,  freedom  of  bloom,  or  substance — 
the  flowers  of  this  variety  lasting  as  well  as  almost  any 
of  our  leading  standard  sorts.  In  color,  the  flowers  are 
very  brilliant,  deep  orange,  round  and  full,  and  are 
thrown  high  above  the  foliage,  making  them  very  showy 
and  effective.  It  is  one  of  the  most  effective  bedders 
we  have.  It  is  a  very  free  bloomer,  and  bears  a  large 
number  of  flowers  on  each  spike.  It  is  also  a  very 
strong  grower,  and  would  be  valuable  on  account  of  its 
beautiful  and  luxuriant  foliage  alone,  which  is  tropical 
in  its  luxuriance,  much  resembling  the  Abyssinian  Ba- 
nana; but  added  to  this  are  its  gigantic  flowers,  borne 
in  large  clusters,  towering  on  large  flower  spikes  high 
above  the  foliage,  and  produced  in  the  gTeatest  pro- 
fusion, l^otwithstanding  its  immense  size,  it  is  as  free 
a  bloomer  as  any  of  our  best  standard  sorts.     All  who 


IN    THE    FRONT    YARD.  253 

have  seen  it  in  our  grounds  the  past  summer  unite  in 
pronouncing  it  the  finest  thing  in  cannas  sent  out  for 
a  long  time. 

Pennsylvania — Another  new,  grand,  giant-flowered 
variety,  fully  as  large  as  Mrs.  Kate  Gray  and  an 
equally  free  and  abundant  bloomer,  but  entirely  distinct 
in  color,  being  a  deep,  rich  scarlet. 

Betsy  Ross — We  consider  this  the  finest  pink  canna 
ever  introduced.  It  is  a  fine,  strong  grower  and  an 
exceedingly  free  bloomer,  flowers  being  borne  on  large, 
erect  trusses,  held  well  above  the  foliage. 

Buttercup — Almost  absolutely  pure  golden,  or  but- 
tercup yellow — pure  yellow  except  for  the  very  faintest 
possible  markings  on  the  lower  petal.  Very  free  bloom- 
er, producing  large  and  handsomely  formed  flowers  on 
large  trusses,  which  are  always  bright  and  clean.  This 
variety  is  valuable  on  account  of  its  exceedingly  bright 
color,  and  particularly  so  on  account  of  its  very  dwarf 
habit,  growing  not  over  three  feet  high — about  the  same 
height  as  Pierson's  Premier — giving  us  a  first-class 
dwarf  yellow  sort,  which  has  long  been  needed. 

Black  Beauty — By  far  the  handsomest  of  all  the 
dark-leaved  cannas.  While  the  flower  is  insignificant, 
the  exceeding  beauty  of  the  foliage  more  than  compen- 
sates for  this,  and  where  foliage  effect  alone  is  desired, 
nothing  richer  and  handsomer  can  be  found.  Foliage 
is  large  and  massive,  of  the  richest  bronzy  purple  color, 
shaded  with  black,  with  beautifully  crimped  or  undu- 
lating edges.  Foliage  is  almost  as  rich  and  striking  in 
color  as  a  dracena. 


254  THE  GOLD  MINE 

Pandora — A  rich  dark-leaved  variety — as  highly  col- 
ored and  as  glossy  as  a  dark-leaved  dracena.  'Next  to 
Black  Beauty,  the  most  beautiful  dark-leaved  variety. 
Besides  its  beautiful  foliage,  it  is  a  large-flowered  vari- 
ety of  the  Italian  type,  with  flowers  as  large  as  Italia 
or  Austria,  scarlet  marked  with  orange, — almost  the 
same  color  as  Mrs.  Kate  Gray. 

Tarrytown,  the  Finest  of  all  Cannas — This  variety 
sent  out  four  years  ago  for  the  first  time,  was  very 
highly  recommended,  but  we  are  glad  to  state  that  it 
has  exceeded  our  anticipations  in  every  Avay;  we  be- 
lieve we  can  justly  claim  it  is  the  finest  canna 
for  bedding  grown  today.  No  variety  approaches  it  for 
display.  The  flowers  are  large  but  its  particular  value 
lies  in  the  earliness  with  which  it  blooms,  the  abun- 
dance of  flowers  produced,  its  branching  habit,  and  the 
lengths  of  time  the  flowers  remain  after  they  open. 
Another  point  of  superiority  is  the  fact  that  the  flowers 
are  thrown  well  above  the  foliage,  and  the  heads  of 
bloom  are  held  very  evenly,  and  so  freely  produced  that 
the  foliage  is  almost  hidden.  One  characteristic  of  this 
variety  which  largely  gives  it  its  value  is  its  wonderful 
branching  habit,  two  or  three  spikes  of  flowers  being 
in  bloom  on  the  same  stem  at  the  same  time,  producing 
a  mass  of  bloom.  The  flowers,  which  are  an  exceeding- 
ly brilliant  carmine  crimson,  have  decidedly  more  sub- 
stance than  any  other  variety,  and  last  for  an  unusually 
long  time.  The  stem  carries  no  withered,  dried-up 
flowers,  but  is  always  bright,  clean  and  fresh.  There 
is  so  much  substance  to  the  flowers  that  heavy  wind  and 


IN    THE    FRONT    YARD.  255 

rain  storms  liave  no  effect  upon  them,  leaving  them 
bright  and  fresh,  when  other  varieties  have  been  knocked 
to  pieces.  It  is  a  fine,  strong,  healthy  gi'ower  of  moder- 
ate height.  InTo  variety  compares  with  it  in  any  way 
for  a  constant,  continuous  display;  it  is  perfectly  safe 
to  say  that  it  showed  six  times  as  many  flowers  for  the 
same  amount  of  space  as  any  other  variety  in  our  fields. 
Wherever  it  was  planted,  it  stood  out  prominently 
among  the  best.  Many  canna  experts  who  have  visited 
our  trial  grounds  invariably  pronounce  Tarrytown  un- 
questionably the  finest  of  all  bedding  cannas  introduced 
up  to  this  time.  It  cannot  be  praised  too  highly.  It  is 
as  much  ahead  of  all  other  cannas  today  for  bedding 
as  Mme.  Crozy  was  ahead  of  all  its  contemporaries  at 
the  time  of  its  introduction.  '^N'otwithstanding  the  fact 
that  this  variety  has  been  offered  for  four  years,  the 
demand  for  it  last  season  exceeded  the  supply. 

Rosemawr — A  grand  pink  variety.  Rich  shade  of 
soft  rosy  pink,  slightly  dappled  with  deep  rose.  One 
of  the  freest-blooming  cannas  that  we  have,  either  in- 
side or  out.  Flowers  are  very  large  and  of  good  shape, 
with  broad,  well-rounded  petals,  frequently  two  inches 
across  and  uncommonly  thick  and  of  good  substance, 
and  the  trusses  are  enormous.  Dwarf  habit,  averaging 
about  three  feet  in  height.  A  wonderfully  fine  acquisi- 
tion; no  up-to-date  collection  is  complete  without  it. 
It  occupies  the  front  rank  among  cannas  of  any  color. 

NEWER  AND  SCARCER  SORTS. 

Improved  Pillar  of  Fire — An  exceedingly  brilliant 
variety^ — fiery  crimson  scarlet.     A  giant  of  its  class, 


256  THE  GOLD  MINE 

growing  six  to  seven  feet  liigH,  and  a  very  free  and 
early  bloomer.     Invaluable  for  centres  of  beds. 

Crimson  Bedder — A  grand  bedding  canna.  Intense 
crimson  scarlet,  dazzling  in  the  extreme.  An  exceed- 
ingly free  bloomer,  quite  dwarf  in  habit  and  very  bushy 
and  when  in  flower  makes  a  perfect  blaze  of  color.  Tew 
if  any  of  the  newer  cannas  equal  this  variety  for  ef- 
fectiveness as  a  bedder. 

L.  Patry — Orange  salmon,  showing  a  pinkish  sheen 
on  the  older  flowers — an  entirely  distinct  color;  very 
bright  and  effective.  Lar^e  flower  and  truss.  An  ex- 
ceedingly free  bloomer. 

Luray — A  very  fine  new  pink^  variety,  with  flowers 
'  and  trusses  of  the  lararest  size.  Flowers  are  as  large  as 
Rosemawr,  but  are  very  much  darker,  being  a  dark  rose- 
pink.  An  exceedino^ly  free  bloomer,  and  a  fine  thing 
in  every  respect. 

Martha  Washington — A  grand  new  pink  canna  with 
extra  large  flowers.  Yery  deep,  bright  pink.  Most  of 
the  flowers  have  five  petals,  which  are  very  broad  and 
long.  Trusses  are  of  the  largest  size,  and  are  perfectly 
erect.  A  grand  variety.  Yery  distinct  and  very  su- 
perior. 

Michel  Favrichon — An  exceedingly  free  and  early 
bloomer  and  a  very  strong  grower.  Flowers  are  ex- 
ceedingly large  and  very  showy ;  bright  orange,  slightly 
shading  to  carmine  and  dotted  with  carmine. 

Philippe  Rivoire — Bright  scarlet,  mottled  and  tinged 
with  carmine,  with  a  very  narrow  golden  margin.     Yery 


IN    THE    FRONT    YARD.  257 

handsome  and  distinct  flower.  Eather  tall  grower  with 
beautiful  foliage.     Free  bloomer. 

Souv.  de  Mme.  ^ardj — A  beautiful  mottled  variety 
— bright  golden  yellow,  heavily  spotted  with  the  most 
intense  scarlet.  The  variegation  is  similar  to  that  of 
Florence  Vaughan,  but  the  colors  are  much  deeper  and 
brighter.  It  is  entirely  distinct  •  from  Florence 
Vaughan  and  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  variegated 
cannas  ever  raised.     Tall  grower. 

Pres.  Max  Michelli — This  is  the  finest  and  largest 
flowered  of  all  the  dark-leaved  varieties.  Bright  orange- 
scarlet,  shaded  carmine,  with  bright  carmine  splashings. 
FlowTrs  are  as  large  and  fine  as  any  of  the  green- 
leaved  cannas.     Dwarf  grower. 

Admiral  Avellan — A  fine  dark-leaved  canna.  An 
exceedingly  free  and  early  blooming  variety,  being  a 
mass  of  color  all  summer.  Deep  orange,  much  darker 
than  J.  D.  Cabos.  Fully  as  free  a  bloomer  as  Egan- 
dale  and  considerably  taller. 

Alphonse  Bouvier — One  of  the  earliest,  showiest,  and 
freest  blooming  varieties  grown  today.  Tall  groAver; 
under  good  cultivation  grows  from  seven  to  eight  feet 
high.  The  heads  of  bloom  are  of  the  largest  size,  bril- 
liant  scarlet   crimson;   very   effective. 

Alsace — The  only  white  variety;  the  nearest  ap- 
proach to  a  pure  white  canna  yet  introduced.  Flowers 
at  first  are  a  light  sulphur  yellow,  changing  to  a  rich 
creamy  wdiite.  Flow^ers  are  not  so  large  as  some,  but  it 
is  an  immense  bloomer,  being  loaded  with  blossoms  all 
through  the  season. 


258  THE  GOLD  MINE 

Beaute  de  Poitevine — A  fine  dwarf,  compact  grower. 
Flowers  are  of  good  size,  crimson  scarlet,  with  no  shad- 
ing of  any  kind.  A  free  bloomer,  throwing  up  large 
trusses  of  bloom.  Foliage  is  very  distinct — ^glaucous 
green. 

Egandale — This  is  a  dwarf,  very  compact,  free- 
blooming  dark-leaved  variety.  Foliage  is  dark  greenish 
maroon;  flowers  bright  cherry.  An  exceedingly  free 
bloomer,  and  a  favorite  sort. 

F.  N'euvessel — A  fine  dark-leaved  variety;  foliage 
is  very  handsome.  Orange  scarlet  flowers,  showing  a 
pinkish  tinge  on  the  older  blooms.  Tall  grower  and 
very  free  bloomer. 

Florence  Vaughan  — A  very  effective  and  showy  va- 
riety. Flowers  are  of  the  largest  size,  brilliant  yellow 
spotted  with  scarlet.  This  is  the  finest  variety  of  its 
color  and  the  standard  spotted  sort  today. 

Mile.  Berat — This  is  a  pink  canna  of  French  origin. 
Dark  carmine  pink.  Heads  of  bloom  are  held  erect 
and  well  above  the  foliage.  A  showy,  effective  bedder. 
Tall  grower  and  exceedingly  free  bloomer. 

Mme.  Crozy — Scarlet,  with  golden  edge.  This  va- 
riety is  the  one  that  tended  to  popularize  this  beautiful 
class  of  plants,  and  is  still  considered  very  desirable. 

Philadelphia — Exceedingly  brilliant;  a  bright,  glow- 
ing crimson,  very  rich  and  velvety.  It  is  very  early, 
very  dwarf,  and  a  very  profuse  bloomer.  Extra  good 
and  extra  desirable  in  every  way. 

President  Cleveland — A  fine,  compact,  vigorous 
grower,   throwing  up  numerous   flower   spikes   of  im- 


Mrs.   Roosevelt  Dahlia. 


IN    THE    FRONT    YARD.  261 

niense  trusses  and  flowers  of  very  large  size.  One  of  the 
showiest  varieties.  Color,  bright  orange  scarlet — about 
the  same  shade  as  Eobt.  Christie. 

Duke  of  Marlborough — Darkest  of  all  cannas — very 
dark  crimson.  Very  free  bloomer  and  a  tall,  strong 
grower.     Very  desirable. 

Souv.  d'Antoine  Crozy — This  is  a  superb  variety  in 
every  respect,  and  is  one  of  the  very  finest  that  we  have 
today.  In  color  it  is  an  intense,  vivid  scarlet,  bordered 
with  a  narrow  band  of  the  deepest  golden  yellow,  the 
yellow  border  intensifying  the  brilliancy  of  the  scarlet. 
The  effect  of  a  group  of  these  flowers  in  the  sunlight 
is  dazzling.  It  is  an  exceedingly  free  bloomer.  The 
heads  of  bloom  are  very  large,  and  the  flowers  are  re- 
tained upon  the  spike  more  than  an  ordinary  length  of 
time.  It  grows  about  six  feet  high.  Those  who  wish 
to  have  the  best  cannas  should  certainly  have  this  va- 
riety. 

THE   DAHLIA. 

AVhen  the  procession  of  the  earlier  flowers,  like  the 
tulips,  columbines,  paeonies  and  roses  have  passed  by, 
we  need  a  companion  to  the  glorious  phlox  which  falls 
into  the  line  and  cheers  us  till  frost  comes. 

Today  is  the  20th  of  October,  and  before  my 
window  are  great  masses  of  Dahlias  in  full  bloom. 
They  commenced  in  June.  They  give  off  an  immense 
amount  of  cheer.  They  are  easy  to  raise,  and  can  be 
kept  like  potatoes  through  the  winter. 

The  Dahlia,  more,  perhaps,  than  any  other  flower, 
shows  the  wonderful  skill  and  patience  of  the  florist. 


262  THE  GOLD  MINE 

It  was  first  discovered  in  Mexico  by  Baron  Humbolt 
and  was  sent  by  him  to  the  botanical  gardens  of  Madrid. 
It  was  named  Dahlia  in  honor  of  a  noted  botanist,  Dahl. 
After  its  first  introduction  it  seems  to  have  dropped  out 
of  sight.  It  was  reintroduced  into  Holland,  the  land  of 
flowers,  in  1804.  It  was  single  at  first  and  I  suppose 
there  were  almost  countless  efforts  made  to  improve  it 
and  finally  after  long  experiments  a  double  form  re- 
warded the  florist.  Then  improvements  followed  thick 
and  fast  untibwe  have  the  almost  infinite  varieties  of 
form  and  color.  Almost  every  shade  but  the  blue  has 
been  produced.  There  is  growing  in  Mexico  the  Dahlia 
Excelsa,  which  grows  30  feet  high,  covered  with  a  pro- 
fusion of  bloom.  Dahlia  Imperialis  is  a  distinct  spe- 
cies growing  10  to  15  feet  high  with  fine  branching, 
treelike  form,  producing  in  the  fall  pure  white  droop- 
ing, lilylike  flowers  three  inches  in  diameter.  Of 
course  these  last  named  are  too  tender  for  our  north- 
ern climate,  and  the  seasons  are  not  long  enough  for 
their  development. 

A  few  years  ago  there  w^as  a  decline  in  the  demand 
for  this  flower.  But  as  prosperity  returned  and  the  love 
of  flowers  has  grown,  a  need  was  manifest  for  a  flower 
which  would  reach  from  the  paeony  to  the  time  of  frost 
and  so  the  want  grew  and  the  Dahlia  grew  to  match  it ; 
till  now  one  man  in  ISTew  Jersey  has  80  acres  and  the 
flowers  were  sold  by  one  firm  in  Philadelphia. 

Our  small  cities  and  country  towns  are  very  slow  to 
take  up  things  of  merit.     Flowers  may  be  ever  so  beau- 


IN    THE    FRONT    YARD.  263 

tiful,  but  if  they  are  not  roses  or  carnations  from  the 
greenhouse  there  is  little  call  for  them,  while  the  larger 
cities  appreciate  things  on  their  merit. 

For  cut  floAvers  some  of  the  finer  forms  are  of  ex- 
quisite beauty  and  the  marvelous  variety  of  shape  and 
color  make  them  all  that  v^e  can  ask  for. 

PROPAGATION. 

There  are  four  methods.     Division  of  roots,  by  cut- 
tings, by  grafting,   and  by  seeds.     Increasing  by  cut-, 
tings  and  grafting  is  done  mostly  in  greenhouses.     The 
other  two  processes  can  be  used  by  the  amateur,  for  they 
are  very  simple. 

One  day  I  was  in  the  store  of  a  florist  in  Omaha  and 
a  lady  asked :  ''Why  won't  my  Dahlias  grow.  I  sepa- 
rated the  roots  and  planted  the  tubers ;  but  not  more 
than  a  fourth  grew  at  all."  The  florist  replied,  ''Were 
you  careful  to  have  a  bud  on  every  root  ?" 

"N^o ;  I  never  thought  it  necessary." 

"Things  can't  ^row  without  a- head,"  was  the  reply. 
^NTow  a  large  paeony  root,  broken  off  near  the  crown 
forming  a  ]>erfect  tuber,  will  take  a  year  to  put  a 
head  on  itself;  but  the  dahlia  cannot  do  this  and  so 
must  have  a  head  to  begin  with.  Note  this  then :  in 
dividing  your  clumps  have  a  bud  with  every  tuber  and 
if  some  tubers  have  no  eyes  leave  them  to  help  out 
those  that  have,  thereby  giving  it  extra  force.  Take  up 
your  roots  in  the  fall  before  the  hard  freezes  or  frosts 
come  on.  Dry  them  and  store  them  in  a  cool  cellar 
where  they  will  not  freeze.     If  there  is  danger  of  the 


264  THE  GOLD  MINE 

frost  creeping  in,  take  a  box,  line  it  with  paper,  wrap  up 
your  roots  in  paper  and  carefully "  store  them  away. 
Throw  loose  paper  on  the  top  and  put  some  old  blanket 
over  them. 

They  should  be  planted  as  early  in  the  spring  as  it 
will  do,  about  the  first  of  May.  Put  them  in  about 
four  inches  deep. 

They  are  rank  feeders  and  do  best  on  the  richest 
ground.  If  you  cannot  water  them  thoroughly,  then 
irrigate  with  the  hoe,  by  giving  the  best  of  cultivation. 

Dahlias  love  the  sun  and  cannot  thrive  in  the  shade, 
SO'  give  them  a  good  chance. 

SUPPORTS. 

Usually  frames  are  made. for  them,  but  for  extensive 
cultivation  this  is  not  feasible.  Instead,  they  are  se- 
verely trimmed.  When  the  branches  appear  cut  them 
back  as  you  would  in  planting  a  young  apple  tree.  This 
makes  them  grow  more  stocky.  I  find  this  system 
works  well  where  they  stand  in  exposed  places.  They 
adjust  themselves  to  the  winds  like  a  tree  out  in  the 
pasture.  But  if  they  are  planted  rather  close  in  seclud- 
ed places  the  stems  will  be  weak  and  they,  must  have 
supports. 

VARIETIES. 

There  are  two  general  divisions,  the  single  and  double, 
and  these  again  are  subdivided. 

Tlie  doubles  are  grouped  in  sections  something  like 
the  following: 

The  Cactus — These  have  peculiar  petals  quilled  and 


Cactus  Dahlia. 


IN    THE    FRONT    YARD.  267 

twisted,  having  a  shape  entirely  unique  and  different 
from  anything  else.  I  give  a  few  of  the  leading  va- 
rieties : 

Alpha  is  mainly  white,  sprinkled  with  purple,  crim- 
son and  lilac. 

Beatrice  is  deep  rose  color,  with  long  pointed  petals. 

Cinderella  is  beautiful  flame-like  crimson. 

Gabriel  is  described  by  Peacock  as  follows:  ''The 
ground  color  is  soft  velvety  crimson,  having  a  faint 
cinnamon  hue  at  the  bases  of  the  florets.  The  upper 
part  of  each  floret  for  about  half  its  length  is  snow 
white.      A  very  showy  flower." 

Henry  F.  Mitchell  is  very  large  and  irregular  in 
form  with  colors  varying  from  soft  yellow  to  intense 
orange  red. 

Juarezi  is  the  mother  of  the  cactus  group.  It  is 
deep  scarlet,  with  long,  narrow,  twisted  petals. 

Lady  Penzance  is  pure  yellow,  with  long  twisted 
petals. 

^liss  A.  ^Nightingale  is  deep  yellow,  tipped  red  and 
semi-double. 

Matchless  is  a  dwarf,  strong  and  vigorous,  of  branch- 
ing habit,  flowers  large,  rich,  varnished  crimson,  over- 
laid with  maroon.  Quite  early,  and  a  wholesale 
bloomer. 

Sea  Queen  is  purplish,  with  a  bluish  sheen. 

Spitflre  is  scarlet,  with  clawlike  petals. 

I  give  only  a  few  of  the  120  mentioned  by  Mr.  Pea- 
cock— just  enough  to  give  an  idea  of  the  character  of 


268  THE  GOLD  MINE 

the  family.  If  a  man  has  80  acres,  as  he  has,  in  Dah- 
lias, he  can  take  care  of  the  whole  group,  but  the  rest 
of  us  with  small  spaces  must  be  content  with  a  few  sam- 
ples. 

Then  there  is  an  extended  list  of  the 

DECORATIVE  DAHLIAS. 

These  have  large  flowers  and  are  very  imposing  in 
appearance  and  I  have  watched  them  with  much  inter- 
est. 

Over  forty-five  kinds  are  named  and  these  are  not 
all;  for  new  ones  have  been  added  all  along. 

Black  Beauty  is  a  fine  maroon.  It  is  of  such  deep 
color  as  to  be  almost  black. 

Clifford  W.  Burton  has  large  golden  flowers.  I  have 
watched  them  unfolding  till  late  in  October.  They  are 
fine  and  symmetrical,  like  a  large  chrysanthemum.  In 
color  bright,  clear  yellow  and  the  flowers  are  continuous 
and  very  large. 

Maid  of  Kent  is  cherry  red,  tipped  with  white. 

Mrs.  Roosevelt  is  a  large  flower  of  superior  beauty. 
The  blossoms  are  double — six  inches  or  more  across. 
The  color  is  delicate  bluish  white. 

William  Agnew  is  a  great  favorite.  Flower  seven 
inches  across,  full  center,  fine  form,  color  clear  shade 
of  intense  red. 

SHOW  DAHLIAS. 

These  are  of  compact  ball  shape.  Some  of  them  are 
wonderful  in  their  exquisite  tinting  and  shadings.  It 
would  not  seem  possible  that  so  much  delicate  beauty 


Mars — Bright,  Rich  Cactus  Dahlia. 


Decorative  Dahlias. 


IN   THE    FRONT    YARD.  271 

could  be  crowded  into  a  ball  of  loveliness.  About  75 
kinds  are  given  with  their  varying  shades.  We  can 
give  only  a  few  of  them.  On  our  own  grounds  these 
have  been  the  most  satisfactory  of  all;  though  some 
kinds  have  been  sent  out  too  insignificant  in  size  and 
so  dull  in  color  as  to  have  no  real  merit  and  they  might 
as  well  be  discarded. 

Aleta  is  fine,  light  pink  in  color,  flow^ers  in  balls, 
moulded  in  perfect  form.  It  is  one  of  the  first  to  bloom 
and  after  the  20th  of  October  I  have  seen  it  loaded 
with  a  profusion  of  flowers.  It  seems  very  conscien- 
tious, as  if  it  had  to  be  done. 

Beauty  is  snow  white  and  of  perfect  form. 

Golden  Canary  is  clear  yellow  of  very  fine  shape,  a 
perfect  flower  and  profuse  bloomer. 

Honest  John  is  brilliant  maroon,  richly  shaded  and 
often  mottled  with  black. 

Queen  Victoria  is  one  of  our  best  golden  ones. 

Storm  King  is  new,  a  symmetrical  white  flower.  It 
is  in  great  demand  as  a  cut  flower. 

FANCY  DAHLIAS. 

This  group  is  set  aside  as  another  class,  something 
like  the  last  mentioned  only  on  a  larger  scale.  Many 
of  them  are  almost  indescribable  in  their  beauty.  Some 
have  marvelous  edgings,  tintings  and  touches  of  re- 
markable shadings.  Some  are  variegated  with  ex- 
quisite blendings  of  colors. 

American  Flag  has  ground  color  of  pure  white,  with 


272  THE  GOLD  MINE 

a  border  of  deep  red  and  sometimes  bars  of  red  striping 
with  the  white. 

Elegans  is  rosy  red,  banded  white. 

Olympia  is  one  of  the  finest  of  this  attractive  group. 
It  is  six  inches  in  diameter.  The  color  is  rose  pink, 
striped  and  edged  with  crimson. 

About  40  kinds  are  given  in  this  group. 

POMPON    DAHLIAS. 

These  are  of  dwarfish  habits,  profuse  bloomers  and 
have  a  rich  variety  of  colors. 
Then  we  have 

THE  DWAEF  CLASS. 

These  are  used  for  borders. 

Then  there  comes  the  Pigmy  or  Tom  Thumb  fam- 

Then  there  is  a  very  large  family  of  Single  Dahlias. 
Another  class  are  called  Orchid  Flowers. 

STILL  ATs^OTHER  CLASS. 

are  called  collarette,  because  the  flowers  all  wear  col- 
lars. 

KEEPING  CUT  FLOWEES. 

E'early  the  same  rules  must  be  followed  as  in  the 
preparation  of  paeony  blooms  for  market. 

Remove  all  the  neighboring  buds  and  side  shoots. 
Leave  the  foliage  on  the  stem  to  which  the  flower  be- 
longs, then  put  the  stem  in  water  and  allow  it  to  ab- 


Decorative  Dahlia. 


IN    THE    FRONT    YARD.  275 

Horb  its  fill.  You  can  then  pack  and  ship  or  put  them 
on  exhibition. 

There  is  a  great  future  for  these  flowers.  The  ama- 
teur has  a  wide  field  in  sowing  seeds,  and  watching 
new  developments.  In  fact  it  is  hard  to  keep  up  with 
.tlie  pace  this  flower  has  set  for  us. 

We  prefer  perennials  if  possible.  We  plant  them 
and  they  stay  planted,  but  the  ease  with  which  these 
are  propagated,  the  immense  returns  they  give  for 
good  cultivation,  and  the  little  care  required  in  carrying 
the  roots  over  will  make  them  favorites.  They  are  rank 
feeders  and  require  plenty  of  room. 

In  planting,  put  the  largest  and  strongest  in  the 
background.  Then  those  of  less  growth.  Then  put  the 
Tom  Thumbs  at  the  front,  so  you  can  take  in  the  whole 
at  a  glance. 

A  rAPvTING  WORD  TO  THE  PIONEERS. 

Brothers,  we  have  worked  hard  in  carving  out  a 
new  empire.  We  are  of  the  West  and  a  part  of  it. 
We  have  seen  it  grow  from  childhood  to  stalwart  man- 
hood and  have  done  what  we  could  to  make  it  ffrow. 
We  are  now^  on  the  down  hill  way,  and  we  cannot  climb 
back  again.  We  have  earned  the  right  to  be  rich  and 
to  enjoy  ourselves.  But  there  are  treasures  outside  of 
gold  and  stocks  and  bonds.  He  is  the  rich  man  who 
is  contented  with  a  pleasant  home  and  is  out  of  debt. 
I  note  that  often  the  farmer  leaves  his  home  and  moves 
into  town  where  he  is  often  restless  and  dissatisfied. 
If  he  stayed  by  his  farm  to  the  last  and  beautified  and 


276  THE  GOLD  MINE 

adorned  it,  he  would  keep  himself  young  among  his 
flowers  and  life  would  have  an  enjoyment  he  cannot 
find  on  a  narrow  town  lot.  For  myself  I  have  heen  a 
hardworking  man.  I  began  life  in  Minnesota  in  1857. 
I  was  there  when  the  state  was  born.  I  am  72  years 
of  age,  but  I  cannot  feel  that  I  am  growing  old.  I  seem 
standing  on  the  borders  of  eternal  youth.  True,  my 
feet  move  more  slowly  and  I  cannot  match  the  full 
vigor  of  my  prime,  but  the  soul  is  young.  I  am  going 
towards  the  sunset,  towards  the  ^^golden  gate'';  but  it 
is  not  a  dreary  or  wintry  way. 

Often  have  you  watched  the  glowing  splendors  of 
the  evening,  when  the  stately  clouds  like  heaven's  own 
sentinels  escort  the  retiring  day  to  his  chambers  in  the 
west.  What  brush  can  portray  those  inspiring  displays ; 
what  pen  can  describe  the  robing  of  the  clouds.  It  is  as 
if  the  choicest  gems  of  earth  were  melted  together  and 
then  piled  up  in  mountain  vastness.  There  are  great 
masses  of  opal,  amethyst  and  gold,  and  beyond  the 
fields  of  sapphire  the  scene  is  glory,  set  on  fire,  and  the 
vast  procession  trailing  its  splendors  seems  as  if  escort- 
ing a  conquering  soul  into  the  eternal  joy. 

ISTo,  this  is  not  old  age;  it  is  but  the  promise  of  an- 
other morning. 

"We  all  do  fade  as  a  leaf."  But  how  do  the  leaves 
fade?  Go  into  some  of  our  mountains  after  the  touch 
of  the  frost  and  the  whole  landscape  is  a  splendid  gar- 
den robed  in  indescribable  loveliness.  What  a  rich 
blending  of  color.     The  gold  of  the  maples,  the  purple 


IN    THE    FRONT    YARD.  277 

of  the  oak  and  cherry  and  all  the  shades  and  tints  of 
the  other  trees  of  the  forest  give  us  such  a  picture  as 
only  gifted  nature  herself  can  paint. 

And  yet  this  resplendent  golden  summer  of  the  year 
is  called  the  symbol  of  death. 

We  have  much  to  do  in  adding  to  the  pleasure  and 
happiness  of  our  declining  years.  As  the  day  is  closed 
by  the  resplendent  curtains  of  the  clouds,  so  we  can 
make  the  hither  shore  a  promise  and  a  prophecy  of 
what  lies  beyond.  You  can  gloomily  wait  by  the  river 
in  a  barren  land  or  you  can  wait  in  fields  Ely  si  an  amid 
the  fragrance  and  beauty  of  the  choicest  tributes  which 
earth  can  cast  at  your  feet.  You  are  already  heir  of 
all  things,  and  have  had  your  coronation  here  of  ^^riches 
and  honor.''  Hovering  over  and  around  you  are  the 
choice  tributes  of  the  infinite  love.  Why  not  reach 
out  and  take  them  ?  You  are  sons  of  a  king ;  better  be 
princes  than  beggars.  Time  is  the  porch  of  eternity. 
Earth  is  preparatory  to  heaven.  We  strive  to  have  our 
souls  in  accord  with  the  peace  and  the  purity,  the  har- 
mony and  sweetness  of  the  heavenly  state.  Why  not 
educate  also  for  the  beauty  of  heaven  ? 

Stand  on  the  threshold  of  the  future.  Listen  to  the 
salutations  of  the  universe,  ''All  things  are  yours." 
Think  of  a  home  whose  foundations  are  gems,  whose 
dome  is  sapphire,  whose  walls  are  jasper,  with  gates  of 
pearl,  with  opal  sea  flashing  in  the  supernal  brightness, 
with  streets  gold  paved,  with  a  mansion  built  by  the 
hand  wdiich  hung  those  mantles  on  the  suns,  which 
touched  so  deftly  the  petals  of  the  flower,  which  put 
those  tints  on  the  clouds. 


278  THE  GOLD  MINE 

Then  look  out  on  the  vastness,  on  the  boundless 
abysses  of  glory,  where  the  stars  are  the  bouquets  of 
God,  where  the  infinite  fields  are  gardens  of  flowers 
sprinkled]  with  stars  of  various  hues,  and  is  there  nothing 
to  be  learned  here  of  the  beauty  of  our  Lord  ? 

So  fill  the  closing  days  with  cheer.  Let  beauty  leap 
from  your  brain  and  fall  from  your  hands.  Use  your 
creative  powers.  Show  your  birthright  by  making  the 
earth  smile  with  gladness.  Be  yourself  a  creator  of 
the  beautiful.  Call  forms  of  loveliness  from  the  sun- 
beam, from  the  rainbow,  which  is  ready  to  melt  and 
dissolve  in  beautiful  bloom  for  your  enjoyment.  It  is 
wrong  to  let  God's  great  unseen  processions  of  beauty 
pass  by  without  a  recognition. 

It  is  Avrong  to  take  a  piece  of  God's  fair  earth  and 
let  it  go  to  weeds  or  simply  raise  from  it  something 
to  feed  the  stomach,  and  raise  nothing  for  the  soul. 

There  is  that  patient  wife,  mother  of  your  children. 
What  a  woman  she  has  been ;  how  heroic  she  was  when 
you  were  starting  in  life;  how  meager  the  fare;  how 
she  suffered  with  the  cold.  More  than  once  tears  came 
to  your  eyes  as  von  thought  of  her  privations.  'Now 
the  battle  is  won,  and  to  her  soul  has  come  a  great  long- 
ing for  the  beautiful.  E'o  queen  more  worthy  than  she. 
You  can  plant  trees  which  will  nod  her  welcome,  you 
can  have  a  soft  carpet  of  green  for  her  weary  feet,  you 
can  plant  flowers  which  will  rise  up  and  call  her  bless- 
ed, which  all  summer  will  put  themselves  on  dress  pa- 
rade for  her  and  worship  her  with  their  incense.  Why 
not  have  a  little  pleasure  in  your  old  age  ? 


IN    THE    FRONT    YARD.  279 

Again  let  the  farmer  keep  his  soul  and  liis  speech 
clean.  When  I  was  a  boy  and  men  used  to  change  work 
in  threshing  time  it  was  awful.  They  seemed  to  vie 
with  each  other  in  using  the  foulest  language  and  he- 
fore  the  boys  at  that,  and  as  the  result  many  of  the 
sons  grew  up  vile  and  debased  and  lived  in  the  base- 
ment rather  than  in  the  upper  story  of  farming. 

The  farmer  works  with  God.  The  one  furnishing 
the  capital,  the  other  the  labor,  and  thus  the  world  is 
fed.  He  of  all  men  lives  the  nearest  to  Grod.  And 
when  he  receives  his  warranty  deed  from  Him  and 
from  the  United  States  government  he  is  under  the 
highest  obligation  to  make  the  most  of  himself,  of  his 
family  and  of  his  farm.  He  should  see  that  his  children 
are  brought  up  clean  and  not  weakened  by  debasing 
habits.  Surroundings  have  much  to  do  in  the  develop- 
ment of  character.  I  would  much  rather  children 
would  be  brought  up  in  beautiful  grounds  where  beauty 
and  purity  would  greet  them  every^vhere  than  in  a 
yard  which  Avas  the  home  of  pigs  and  a  hospital  for 
sick  machinery. 

There  is  no  farm  in  the  great  Northwest  which  can- 
not be  greatly  improved  and  made  homelike.  A  man 
should  have  an  ambition  to  make  the  most  possible  of 
his  home.  It  should  not  be  an  eyesore  and  a  plague 
spot.  It  should  match  the  greenness  of  the  fields,  the 
beauty  of  the  prairie  and  forest  and  the  repose  of  the 
waters  and  all  the  loveliness  of  nature,  and  so,  my 
brother,  you  will  fix  up,  won't  you? 


^  C.  State  Collet 


THE   END. 


• 


MsM 


